


The Crossed Swords Inn

by Smint100



Category: Lord of the Rings (Movies), Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M, Merlin/Lord of the Rings/AU Crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-20
Updated: 2013-01-20
Packaged: 2017-11-26 05:22:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 32,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/647020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smint100/pseuds/Smint100
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Beth is given a new venue for a fancy dress party, she crosses into another world. One that sees her joining the quest to destroy the one ring in The Shire, Camelot and back in her own world . . . and embark on the most important quest of her life</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dragons, Elves, Days and Knights

**Author's Note:**

> With the announcement that Merlin was ending at the end of Series 5, I wanted to write something to ease the pain of its passing. And throw in a few of my favourite characters from Lord of the Rings as well, just because I could! Enjoy!

The tapping on the car window made me jump. An old man was standing by my car in the pub car park. He looked a lot like Gandalf, but it wasn’t really that surprising as I was dressed as an elf. Or, rather, an Elven Princess rather than one of Santa’s Little Helpers. I opened the window.

‘Elizabeth Groves?’ he asked. No one called me Elizabeth except my parents if they were being disapproving.

‘Beth, yes.’

‘There’s a change of venue. The address is here. And can you give this envelope to Wayne for me? Thank you, my dear.’

I put the new postcode into the sat nav and followed the directions. It wasn’t far but took me down a narrow lane I’d not noticed before.

'Turn left now.'

'There IS no left turn!’ I shouted pointlessly at the sat nav. ‘It's just a track!'

'Turn left NOW.' The voice was suddenly menacing and I wasn’t sure I liked being bullied by technology.

It was dark, there was no signal on my mobile, and so, with absolutely no idea where I was, I turned left, bumping down the rutted track in the hope that I'd get back onto a proper road or find the pub. That man must have given me the wrong postcode, but he'd seemed very sure.

'So much for a relaxing holiday,' I muttered. I had planned a week away, just driving where I fancied, booking in to B&Bs, having some "me time". Alison's fancy dress birthday party was just the start and I was due to stay overnight with her.

As the track twisted into woods, the headlights picked out a figure as it rolled down the bank at the side of the road and came to a halt in front of the car. I turned on the main beam and it raised its arm, shielding its eyes from the light. Slowly I opened the driver's door, gripping a torch tightly in case this was a scam and I was going to get my head battered.

'Are you OK?' I called. There was a groan, and the figure contracted in pain. I crouched down in front of the man. 'Can I help you?' and then I noticed that there was blood on the front of his jacket. 'Wait there,' I said, rather unnecessarily, and returned with the first aid kit from the car. I pulled up the front of his shirt. It looked like a stab wound, oozing blood, but not desperately deep. So much for a holiday from work.

I was just taking one more look when another figure leapt from the trees. He crouched on the track about ten yards away, his white-blond hair gleaming in the moonlight. He appeared to be wearing a tunic of some kind over . . . tights? And he was carrying . . . well, it looked like a bow and arrow, but a lot more authentic than the one that had come with my costume.

'Aragorn, are you injured?'

Of course! They must be going to the same party I was. I stood. 'Legolas, I presume.'

He bowed slightly. 'My lady, you know me?'

'Very funny. But I think your friend's hurt.'

'We can take him to the inn.' That sounded good. 'But first I must slay the dragon.'

Dragon? That sounded less good. I turned round to see what he was looking at. My car, engine still running, door open, lights ablaze, exhaust fumes clouding behind it.

'It's . . . not a dragon. It's my car.' The word didn't register. Wow, they really were in character. 'It's tame. One minute.'

I edged the car off the track and put Alison’s birthday card and present, and the envelope I'd been given by the old man, into my voluminous handbag. Hopefully the party wasn't far - I could do with a drink.

We helped Aragorn down the track. He appeared to rally but was still leaning on us for support. In the distance I could see the lights of what I hoped was the pub. A beer would go down very nicely just now.

As we approached the pub, a rather scary short person leapt onto the track brandishing a very realistic looking sword. Wow, some party, they even had real dwarves.

'Gimli, it's us. Aragorn is hurt.'

'And who is this?'

'She gave aid.'

We sat Aragorn down on a nearby tree trunk. 'Hi, my name's Beth.' He waited. 'Beth. Elizabeth.' More waiting. 'Elizabeth Groves, daughter of Dave and Eileen. Of Guildford.'

That seemed to satisfy him. Gimli bowed deeply and muttered gruffly, 'Lady Elizabeth.'

'Just Beth. Now, I really think we should get Aragorn to the inn.' We were suddenly surrounded by more dwarves. Except they weren't the same as Gimli.

'Hobbits!' I squealed. 'There should be . . . four of you? Erm, Frodo?' There was a nod. 'Samwise?' Another nod.

'Merry and Pippin,' came the two remaining voices in unison. Like Ant and Dec, I was never sure which one was which.

'You know of us?' Frodo asked.

'Oh yes. Read the book, seen the films, played the computer game.' They glanced at each other. 'Yep, the ring, the hobbits, Mount Doom, that big glowy eye . . .'

'She knows of the quest,' said a voice behind me.

I was a little surprised to feel a knife at my throat and wondered what I'd done wrong.

'Boromir, leave her! She's no foe,' Legolas said.

The knife was slowly lowered and a man circled in front of me. Ooh, better and better. Boromir, Legolas and Aragorn. Hot, hotter and hottest. All armed and dangerous. Well, if I was going to be in a dark wood with some strange men, I could definitely do worse than the testosterone trio.

‘Are you coming with us to the inn?’ Legolas asked Boromir.

‘I’d better go back and see if I can find what attacked Aragorn,’ and he swiftly disappeared.

Not feeling quite so ridiculous in my elf costume, we helped Aragorn up the pathway to the entrance. As we approached, the door opened and a large man in short sleeves deposited two small men on the path. He held the door open for us all as the recently ejected men muttered under their breath and stalked off into the night.

'No weapons inside, please,' he said.

'What? Oh. This?' And I shrugged off the plastic bow from around my neck and left it by the door with the quiver of arrows alongside assorted swords, hammers and, well, objects I didn't even recognise, some of them looking distinctly blood stained.

'Is this The Crossed Swords Inn?' I asked.

'It is.'

'Is Alison here?'

'Alison?' The name appeared to mean nothing to him.

'Oh well, I’d better get Aragorn inside and have a look at his wound.'

Legolas and I helped Aragorn over the threshold, and the tall man cleared a path through dwarves, more hobbits, what looked like a troll in the corner, and a couple more men in elf costume. These people had gone to considerable trouble for this party although I was beginning to wonder where Alison was and why there was no one here who I actually recognised.

I settled Aragorn on one of the long benches and asked the tall man for some hot water and clean cloths. Before he could answer, a small body came sliding towards me along the smooth wooden table. The bouncer, as that was what I assumed he was, scooped him up and neatly bowled him back.

'I'll get the water,' he said, as though his actions were an everyday occurrence.

He returned quickly, and, assisted by Legolas, I cleaned Aragorn's wound. As I examined it, it seemed to almost disappear, certainly looking less severe than it had on the path, although the light was very dim in here. Anyway, I dressed it and he soon revived, declaring that he could no longer feel any pain.

'How did you get injured?' I asked.

'Orcs?' Legolas suggested.

Aragorn shook his head. 'Sheep.' We both stared at Aragorn, who looked a little, well, sheepish. 'One chased me and I tried to jump a fence and . . . slipped. I don’t like sheep,' he finished lamely. I briefly wondered how he’d fared filming in New Zealand, but then confused myself thinking that this seemed to be at the beginning of the quest for them as they still had the ring. ‘If Lady Elizabeth hadn't saved me, well . . . I am in your debt, my lady,' and he lifted my hand and kissed it.

Sitting upright and moving into the candlelight, I was relieved to see that he looked very much like he did in the films. Whatever the situation I was currently in, I decided I could live with that gratitude.

As the tall man returned to check on Aragorn, I asked him where I could find Wayne. He nodded over to the bar. Seated on it, legs stretched out, leaning against one of the wooden struts at the end, was a rather good looking man. His dark hair curled onto the collar of his burgundy tunic, his profile was strong, a neatly trimmed beard surrounding a laughing mouth. He twisted round as I approached, turning merry hazel eyes on me, his hair swishing as he jumped down from the bar. It was quite impressive, the hair swishing.

'My lady,' he said.

'Hello. Erm, I'm looking for . . . Wayne?'

'I think you'll find that's Gwaine.'

'I thought he'd said Wayne . . . But I suppose it could be Gwaine. Like the knight!'

He bowed before me and raised my hand to his lips. 'Sir Gwaine at your service,' he replied.

'Yes, yes of course,' I replied, laughing. 'The party. And I should have recognised the hair.'

'Party?' he questioned, straightening.

'Yes. Of course, that was Sir Percival at the door.'

'Yes. We bought this hostelry when we left Camelot.'

'Priceless. I see Sir Percival is still rocking the bare armed look.'

'Ah yes, I'm afraid the sleeve allergy is no better in the Shire than it was in Camelot.'

'Ha! And we thought it was just the writers wanting him to show off his biceps for the laydees.'

'I'm sorry, I do not know . . .'

'And Gwaine wasn't much better, was he? Those caves in Arthur's Bane. Just an excuse for you to get topless, wasn't it? Even though we could see it was freezing down there. Not that I was complaining.'

'You could see us? In the caves? What type of magic is this?'

'Magic? No, it was Merlin on BBC1.'

'Merlin? You have seen him? And there were bees? And the sea? And who won what?'

I was starting to get confused. Again. 'Anyway, I have something for you,' and tucked my hair behind my ear as I rummaged in my handbag.

'My lady, do you have some elf in you?' Legolas said, standing behind me.

'No!' I said, hurriedly pulling my freshly straightened chestnut hair back over my ever so slightly pointed ears.

'Well, would you like some?'

As I looked at Legolas, I could see Gwaine double over with laughter. 'I can't believe you just asked her that,' he said, wiping away a tear with the back of his hand.

'It was you who gave me that line!' Legolas protested.

'Have you actually used it before?' I asked.

'Erm, yes.'

'And has it ever worked?'

'Erm, no.'

'Promise me something, Legolas, or whatever your real name is, don't ever use that line again.'

'I promise. But my name really is Legolas.'

'Of course it is. And he's really Gwaine, and that's really Aragorn . . .'

'Yes . . .'

'And I think I need a drink.'

'I'll get some,' Gwaine replied, 'and then you can give me this message.'

He returned with beers for Aragorn, Legolas and himself and a small cup of something which he placed in front of me. I smiled up my thanks, but then tasted it and coughed. I immediately picked up Aragorn's beer and took a swig of that, much to the amusement of both men. Gwaine turned around a chair and put his foot on it, leaning on his knee towards me. Nice boots.

'So, this message?' he asked.

'Oh yes, here it is,’ and I handed him the envelope. He opened it, read a few lines, looked at me and then handed it to Aragorn.

'It's from Gandalf.' He turned swiftly as another dwarf headed down the table towards us at high speed, stopped it, and then shoved it back in the opposite direction. I went to speak, but then changed my mind.

'What IS this drink?' I asked lifting up the small goblet I'd originally been given.

'Erm, it's supposed to be rose wine.'

'What?'

'Well, we don't get many women in here . . .'

'I'm not surprised if you serve them that!'

Gwaine picked it up, sniffed it suspiciously and then took a sip. He started to gag which made both Aragorn and me laugh. 'Serves you right,' I said. 'Now can I have a proper drink?'

'Yes, sorry.' Gwaine looked rather penitent. 'What would you like?'

'Sex on the beach?' I suggested. Aragorn started laughing while Gwaine looked at me in horror. They really were too easy to tease. 'Or a beer,' and I nodded at Aragorn's cup.

'What is this place?' I asked Aragorn as Gwaine disappeared behind the bar. 'Great atmosphere for a party, though.' But he was busy looking at the document from Gandalf. I couldn’t read much of the letter, but there were a couple of words I recognised. 'Ooh, Mount Doom! You'll be on your way there, then?'

‘You are aware of our quest?’

‘To destroy the ring? Yes.’

Aragorn called over one of the hobbits. 'Lady Beth-'

'Just Beth,' I corrected.

'Lady Beth knows about the ring, Frodo. Or at least, about the quest. She may have information for us.'

'A quest you say?' said Gwaine, returning with more beers for everyone. 'This I must hear.'

There wasn't much room at the table and I found myself crushed against Gwaine. It was not unpleasant. But instead of looking excited, Frodo looked on the verge of tears.

'What's the matter, Frodo?' I asked. 'Are you scared?'

'No! No, it's not that. It's just that . . . I've lost the ring.'

'Lost it?' Gwaine asked. 'Lost? Or stolen by the Ringwraiths?'

'No . . . lost.'

'But where?'

'Erm, I think down the back of the sofa.'

'But . . . ?'

'And then it disappeared.'

'The ring?'

'No, the sofa. I know it was old but didn't realise it was so sick. But now we need to find it.'

'So . . . you're now on a quest for a sofa?' I asked.

Frodo nodded sadly. This wasn't quite my recollection of the story.

'And you have no idea where this sofa might be?'

'No,' Frodo said forlornly.

'So what brings you here? By the way, where is "here"?'

All eyes turned towards Legolas. 'Fangorn Forest,' he said. 'I . . . thought it might have come back to its spawning ground.'

I rubbed my hand over my mouth to stifle a laugh. I had an image of a sofa skipping through the trees on sturdy little legs, returning to its home tree.

'But . . . ?' I prompted.

'It wasn't here,' Legolas muttered.

'And . . . ?'

He shrugged. 'We don't know. We're stuck. And the quest is doomed.' He now looked on the verge of tears. I stopped finding it funny. They really believed in this. I knew I must be hallucinating . . . or something, but I desperately wanted them to find the ring.

'What does this sofa look like?'

'It's red velvet, with a wooden base,' said Frodo. 'But it had gone a bit saggy. I didn't realise it was so close to death.'

'Not much of a quest,' Gwaine commented. 'Looking for a sofa.'

'Lady Beth has already tamed a dragon,' Legolas pointed out.

Gwaine looked impressed. 'A dragon? Any other talents?'

'Many,' I replied, glancing towards him, but holding his gaze. I had the sudden urge to run my fingers through his hair to see if it was as soft and flowing as it looked, but the moment was broken by Frodo bursting into tears.

'There, there,' I said, patting him on the back. 'You will find your ring.'

'How do you know I will?'

'Because . . .' I realised that I wasn't entirely sure, but I couldn't just sit and watch a hobbit cry. 'Because you have two Knights of the Round Table-'

'Ex knights,' Gwaine interrupted.

‘Once a knight . . . is never enough. I mean, once a knight, always a knight. So who better than helping you on a quest?' I continued.

'Percival?' Gwaine called.

'What?'

'They want to know if we want to go on a quest?'

Percival thought for a moment. 'I have kind of missed the questing.'

'We'll get to wear chainmail again.'

'And cloaks.'

‘And have real sword fights.’

'And ride horses.’

‘Actually, I could live without the horses, if I'm honest,' Gwaine said. 'Mine always tried to walk into trees.'

'That's because you couldn't control it.'

'I expected it to have a modicum of sense.'

'Why? We expected no such thing from you,' Percival said drily.

Gwaine ignored the comment. 'So are we going on this quest?'

'Of course we are! Er, what is it?'

But he was called away to deal with some arguing trolls before anyone could brief him. There was much excited talk around the table of provisions and routes and horses and weapons, all accompanied by beer and more beer. Only Frodo sat quietly, nursing the same drink for the rest of the evening.

I yawned and there was immediate concern about my welfare.

'My lady, you must sleep,' Legolas said. 'We will make room for you by our camp fire. You can have my blanket.'

'Your blanket? No, no, thank you, I will sleep in the car. I'll be fine. And then just carry on with my holiday tomorrow.' I had finally reached the conclusion that this was not Alison's birthday party and that the offer of her spare room would not be forthcoming but I’d drunk far too much to drive home.

'And how will we protect you if you sleep in the belly of the dragon?' Legolas asked.

'Wait,' Gwaine interrupted. 'You said "Carry on tomorrow"?'

'Yes. I am going on holiday tomorrow.'

'Alone?'

'Well, yes. I was just going to drive around for a while and stop in a B&B . . . or something.'

'I forbid it,' Gwaine said sternly.

'You . . . you what?' I wasn’t used to being told what I could and couldn’t do.

'I forbid it. It is not safe for a lady.'

'Sir Gwaine, she defeated a dragon earlier.'

Gwaine turned to Legolas. 'YOU may have no code of chivalry, but we knights do.'

Legolas drew himself up to his full height. He was very tall. 'No code of chivalry?' he began. 'No code of . . .?'

This had gone far enough. 'Stop it,' I said, standing, although still dwarfed by Legolas. 'I will sleep in the car tonight and then continue my holiday tomorrow. Thank you for your . . . concern, Sir Gwaine, but I shall be fine.'

I could feel someone take hold of my hand and I looked down. It was Frodo. 'Please come on the quest with us, Lady Elizabeth. We need you.'

All eyes were now looking at me. This was impossible. How could I abandon them in their hour of need? 'Very well,' I sighed, and there was a chorus of approval and excitement.

'Anyway,' I said. 'I shall go back to my car and see you in the morning.'

'You can stay here at the inn,' said Gwaine. I flicked a look at him. 'Your own room!' he added, looking shocked that I had questioned him. 'Gandalf asked me to look after you in the note.'

It seemed like a much better option than the car. 'I need to collect my bag,' I said.

'I will walk with you.'

‘I can manage on my own.’ I was still rankling a little from his “forbidding” comment.

‘I know you can, Beth. But that does not stop me wanting you to be safe,’ and he took hold of my hand and looked at me with such puppy dog eyes that I couldn’t help but forgive him as my innards turned to a warm fudgy goo.

‘OK, let’s go.’

 

It was a pleasant evening for a stroll back to the car. I was feeling comfortably tipsy, the beers seemingly stronger than I had thought. I stumbled a little on the path and Gwaine immediately put out his arm to steady me. I didn't release it and he flashed me a smile.

'What was going on there tonight with the dwarves?'

'Oh? It's Saturday. Dwarf bowling night. Do you have dwarf bowling where you are from?'

'Err no.'

'A shame. The dwarves love it. There's not much work for them around here.'

'And are you enjoying running the inn?'

He paused before he spoke, stopping walking and subconsciously pulling me slightly closer to him while he thought. 'I have to admit that it's not as interesting as being at Camelot.'

'Such a shame it ended,' I said. 'I used to love the quests and the villain of the week. But . . . but . . . didn't you . . .?'

He looked puzzled, but I decided not to pursue it. He was very much alive in the here and now, although I wasn't sure where the here OR the now actually were. But alone with my favourite knight on a wooded path in this distinctly other world was brimming with possibilities.

'How come you and Sir Percival left Camelot?' I asked instead.

'Well, after Arthur finally accepted that Merlin had magic, Morgana decided she'd rather be with Morgause on the Isle of Avalon, and peace reigned through Albion, there wasn't a lot for the knights to do.'

'But what happened to Mordred?'

'He was sent to serve the Great Dragon before the battle of Camlann.'

'So did Arthur win that battle?'

'Oh yes, convincingly.'

'Now THAT would have been a MUCH better ending,' I said emphatically.

'Ending?'

'Never mind, but you have made me SO much happier! Thank you! Erm, while we're alone . . .'

'Yes?' He turned towards me, gently holding my arms, smiling at me with those twinkly eyes.

'Can I . . . can I see if your hair is really as soft as it looks?'

'Oh. Err yes. I suppose so.'

I tentatively reached up my hand and ran it through his hair. It fell beautifully soft through my fingers and I sighed. 'And now will you do the swish?'

'The what?' I demonstrated. 'I do that?' he asked, looking slightly horrified.

'Not often enough.'

It took a couple of practice attempts, but then he nailed it perfectly. I pretended to swoon, and he was immediately concerned for my welfare, clasping my arm, his face full of anxiety, his eyes fixed on mine. As he looked at me, I felt lust kick me firmly in the stomach. But this was ridiculous. He could only be in my imagination. He wasn’t real, this wasn’t real, and I drew away from him.

‘I’ll get my bag.’

Gwaine was looking suspiciously at my car as we approached. Instinctively he reached for his non-existent sword and cursed under his breath.

'It is quite safe,' I said as I unlocked it with the remote, but the flash of lights and the beep that accompanied it made him adopt a defensive pose. I walked boldly towards it, although was actually feeling less confident than I looked. What if my car HAD turned into a dragon in this strange place? But it hadn't, and I removed my holdall from the boot. Gwaine had been cautiously circling the car, poised to spring into action should it be required, but as I relocked the car, he took my bag from me.

'You are very brave, Lady Beth,' he acknowledged.

'I trained a long time to control it,' I replied.

We returned to the inn arm in arm. It was obviously closing time as Sir Percival was ensuring an orderly, or rather, disorderly exit from the inn. Percival glanced at Gwaine and me, and then held the door open for us, smiling.

'We will meet for breakfast,' Gwaine announced to the remaining members of the group. 'And plan the quest.'

'First breakfast or second breakfast?' Sam asked.

'First,' Gwaine clarified. Sam looked satisfied.

I followed Gwaine up the steep steps at the rear of the inn. It was a very attractive view. He turned left at the top towards the front of the inn and opened the door onto a surprisingly comfortable room. There was a fire glowing in the grate and a large four poster bed opposite.

'It's . . . very nice,' I said. 'Thank you.'

''What were you expecting? We've had Elven Queens stay here, you know.'

'And now me,' I grinned. 'Erm . . . the, errr . . . ?'

'Next door,' he said. 'Percival's room is at the end of the corridor and mine is directly above yours, if you need us. Me.'

'Thank you, Sir Gwaine.'

'Sleep well,' he said, and closed the door behind him.

 

* * *

 

Settled in the warm, comfortable bed following using the, well, basic facilities, I began to take stock of the evening's events. I'd met, apparently, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Boromir, the hobbits, and Sir Percival and Sir Gwaine. Mmm, Sir Gwaine. And I was in The Crossed Swords Inn in the middle of a mysterious forest surrounded by people, and other creatures, I didn't know. I went back to thinking about Sir Gwaine.


	2. Breakfast, Sofas, Sales and Swishing

It was the smell of bacon that dragged me from the extremely comfortable bed and down the stairs into the bar, this time dressed in the more comfortable jeans and jumper. Legolas, Boromir, Aragorn, Gwaine, and the four hobbits were sitting round one of the larger tables. Percival, wearing a particularly attractive frilly apron, was dishing up large slices of bacon, fried eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms and toast.

Despite there being room by the hobbits, Gwaine insisted on moving everyone around so that I could sit by him.

'Tea or coffee?' Percival asked.

'Coffee please.'

'You've got him well trained,' I said to Gwaine.

'He was born to it. Taken to it like a dragon to fire.'

Percival placed a mug of steaming coffee in front of me and offered milk and sugar. I accepted the milk.

After everyone had eaten, Percival cleared the plates and then joined us at the table.

'So, this quest,' Gwaine began. 'Tell us again about the ring.'

'Well,' Frodo began. 'I was sat on the sofa looking at the ring, just LOOKING,' he emphasised, 'when there was a knock on the door and I dropped the ring. When I went back, it had gone.'

'The ring?' Percival asked.

'No, the SOFA,' we all chorused in response.

'The back door was open. It must have left that way. I really never knew it was that ill,' and he started sobbing again.

'So, Legolas, you said that sofas go back to their old spawning ground?'

'That's right, Lady Beth.'

'And that Frodo's sofa was born here in Fangorn Forest?'

I sank back into thought while the men talked of plots and plans and the history of sofas, accepting more coffee from Percival - man he made a fantastic cup! - and then lapsed back into thought, twisting curls of hair around my finger.

There was something nagging at the back of my mind but I couldn't pin it down. Dead Fangorn sofas . . . Dead Fangorn sofas . . . where on earth would they go?

I watched the men animatedly talking. Percival had brought out a map of the forest, but the edges were hazy, and even the track down which I had turned fizzled out into a blank.

'What's over here?' I asked.

'The Great Unknown,' Gwaine answered. 'Beyond where your dragon is, there is strange magic. Powerful magic. We do not go there,' he said darkly. 'Only Gandalf may pass as his magic is equally strong. As yours must be.' Gwaine was looking at me with a curious expression on his face. 'Powerful magic, tamer of dragons . . .' I was beginning to get a little worried about the direction of this conversation. Was I going to be denounced as a witch and burnt at the stake? 'Only you can help us find this sofa,' he finished.

'Me? Well I do have one idea, but it is a very long shot.'

'A long shot?' Legolas chipped in. 'I will need my bow?'

'No! No, I meant it's a guess.'

'What would you like us to do, my lady?'

'Beth, please! I'll need to get back to the main road.' There were blank looks around the table. 'The Great Unknown.' There was a silence as they all looked at one another. 'I will go, on my own if necessary.'

Gwaine took hold of my hand and kissed it. 'You are so brave.'

'Although . . . Frodo, you'd probably better come with me in case I need you to identify the sofa.' But the others wouldn't allow Frodo to leave on his own, especially with my embargo on weapons, so Frodo, Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli and Gwaine all reluctantly squeezed into my car with much muttering about dragons. Percival wanted to come but there absolutely no way he would fit in the car with the others. As it was, Gwaine was sharing the front seat with Frodo, the others squeezed into the back with Gimli threatened with the boot if he wouldn't lie still across the laps of the others. I sincerely hoped we wouldn't be stopped by the police.

From the main road I searched on my phone and obtained an address. The shopping complex backed onto the forest and we made a strange group as we walked through the electronic doors, Gimli muttering 'magic' under his breath as all men reached for weapons they no longer held. Legolas was positively quivering without his quiver. I looked for clues, keeping to the side of the store as they followed me.

It was eerily silent in the store and then I noticed something odd. No "Sale" signs. That might explain the lack of staff as though they weren’t expecting anyone, but even so, I wanted this to be over as quickly as possible. In the back of my mind I was running through the interview at the police station.

"So, Miss Groves, you were apprehended in the company of a Knight of the Round Table, a dwarf, a hobbit, an elf and two men attempting to find a dying or dead sofa. Is that correct?" I could not imagine that interview ending well.

In the corner, closest to the forest, was a door. Over it, the sign read, "If you know what we stand for, enter".

I cautiously pushed open the door to a stairwell. The lights flickered on, sensing us, sending the men into a frenzy of searching for an adversary. I waited for them to realise there was none, and began to descend the stairs.

'Wait!' Gwaine said. 'I shall go first.' He stealthily made his way down the stairs, followed by the rest of the crew until they reached another set of doors. I nodded at him and he dramatically pushed open the doors to find a storeroom of discarded sofas.

Gwaine entered, and I switched on the lights, throwing the men into another frenzy of discomfort until I smiled reassuringly at them. I ushered Frodo past and he surveyed the contents, then ran towards a saggy old red velvet sofa propped up at the side of the room.

'This is it,' he said, and the others helped him straighten it. He plunged a hand down the back and we held our collective breath as he rummaged, releasing it with a relieved sigh as he produced a gold ring.

'We'd better go,' I said, concerned that we shouldn't really be here.

'You sense danger, my lady?' Gwaine asked, eyes searching the room for exits.

Being caught in a store room with this motley crew was not something I wanted to explain to the managers. 'Let's just go,' I said.

Gwaine led the party back up the stairs, around the edge of the showroom and cautiously approached the electric doors. As they opened, he waved everyone through quickly commando style and we regrouped in the car park.

'Let's get back to the inn,' Frodo said. 'The others will want to know we have succeeded in the quest.'

They all struggled back into my car and I drove back to the track, this time further along until Gwaine asked me if I could not bring the dragon quite so close to the inn. Just in case. I parked and they extracted themselves with difficulty.

Once back inside, the other members of the group crowded round Frodo and the ring and, once they had all confirmed it was THE ring, for some reason they all decided that bowing before me was the appropriate action. It was Frodo who spoke first. 'But, how . . . ?'

'A wild stab in the dark,' I replied. 'It came to me over breakfast. Where would a dead Fangorn sofa go? And there's your answer - Dead Fangorn Sofa - DFS, the furniture store! Well, who'd have thought that's what it stood for?'

My pride in discovering the meaning of DFS was completely lost on the guys. Different worlds, I thought. Which left me with the question about how I should announce my departure. The ring had been found, the quest was over, well, the quest for the sofa, anyway, and it was time for me to move on. But I couldn't just leave this place, wherever it was, and these people, whoever they were, not without saying goodbye.

I'd better start with Frodo and the hobbits. I moved down next to them.

'I'm glad you found the ring. Good luck with the rest of the quest. I'm sure Aragorn, Legolas, Boromir, Gimli and Gandalf will look after you.'

'But . . . but you can't go, Lady Beth,' Frodo said, his eyes wide.

'I'm afraid I have to. This is your world. I don't belong here. I’ve done my bit and now I have to go.' I turned to Aragorn. 'I know you'll do a great job looking after the boys.'

'You are leaving Lady Elizabeth? But I have not thanked you properly for rescuing me.'

'Another time, perhaps,' I said. 'Boromir, Gimli, Legolas, good luck with the quest.'

They all bowed. 'We hoped you would stay, my lady,' Legolas said.

'Sir Percival,' and I attempted a curtsey to his formal bow. 'Best coffee ever,' and I gave him a hug, copping a squeeze of his biceps as I did so.

Then there was only one person left to say goodbye to. The one person I really did not want to say goodbye to. Except he knew I was leaving. He had brought down my bag from the room and was standing by the door.

'I will walk you to your . . . car,' he said.

We walked in silence until we reached the car. He put down my bag.

'You know I have to leave, don't you?' I said.

He shook his head. 'No. You belong here. With us. With me.'

'Will you do the swish for me one last time?'

He obliged, and it was sorely tempting to stay. I rested my hands on his shoulders in preparation for a farewell hug and we both smiled, eyes searching each others'.

‘Goodbye, Sir Gwaine,’ I said softly, looking up at him.

And then he did what I so desperately wanted, he leaned in towards me and kissed me. And what a magical kiss it was. I wrapped my arms around his neck and returned the kiss, with interest. I ran my fingers through that gorgeous hair, but my attention was now focused firmly on his wonderful mouth. I didn't want this kiss to stop. Ever. Frankly, if I'd died there and then on that spot, my life would have been fulfilled. I was kissing Sir Gwaine!

However, inevitably, the kiss came to a natural end. Our lips parted and we stood just looking at each other, uncertain as to what to say or do next.

'Wow,' was the best I could come up with.

He took my face between his hands, kissed me gently on the lips, and then said, ‘Stay, Beth.’

‘I can’t. I . . .’ but I couldn’t continue and reluctantly turned to get in the car. Except the car was no longer there. Nor was the track, just forest stretching into the distance where the lane had previously been. And then the world went misty.

 


	3. Veils, Maps, Coffee and Kisses

I woke a few minutes later lying on the ground with Gwaine’s head pressed firmly against my chest. It took a few seconds to remember what had happened, and then several more before I decided to tap him on the shoulder.

‘Oh, you’re alive,’ he said with relief.

‘Am I? I’m not sure. What happened to my car? To my world?’ I scrambled to my feet. ‘Did YOU do this?’

‘Me? No! I’m not the one with magic!’

‘Nor am I. Nor do I have a car which was here five minutes ago! And where’s the road gone?’

Instead of the track and the narrow lane, there was now just an extension of the forest. I started to run down the track into the forest, hoping to see the road, but it wasn’t long before I realised it was pointless and headed back towards where Gwaine was waiting with my bag.

I marched straight up to him and started futilely beating my hands on his chest. ‘Why can’t I leave?’ I howled. ‘I want to leave.’

‘Beth, Beth, I know, I know,’ he said, taking hold of me by the wrists. ‘I don’t know what’s happened, but if you need to go, you must.’

‘I DO need to go! But I can’t!’

‘We’ll find a way, I promise you.’

I calmed down at this point realising that me being angry would achieve nothing, slumped back onto the ground and stared at Gwaine’s nice boots. After a few minutes, I wiped my eyes, and held out my hand so that Gwaine could help me up.

‘Know anywhere I can get a good cup of coffee?’ I asked.

We walked back to the Crossed Swords where I was met with a mixture of joy and confusion. Percival brought me coffee while Gwaine explained the situation to the others. Sort of.

‘Lady Elizabeth’s dragon car, has disappeared, well it was there when we got there, and then it wasn’t when we looked again, but it went while we were, well . . . it went and The Great Unknown was there, except it wasn’t, it was different and the forest was there instead.’

Percival sat down heavily next to me. ‘There must be a reason you’re meant to stay,’ he said. I slipped my hand through his arm and squeezed his bicep for reassurance.

Once Gwaine had kind of explained why I was back came the question of what was going to happen next. Of course, Frodo. Aragorn and Legolas immediately wanted me to join the quest to return the ring to Mordor, Gwaine was telling them that was far too dangerous, Gimli was saying what a liability I would be as I was a girl, with the other hobbits protesting.

‘What do you want to do?’ Percival asked.

‘I don’t know. I don’t know why I’m here, Percival.’

‘Call me Percy. Now tell me what happened.’

‘I was at the car with Gwaine, and, well, we were just having a goodbye kiss and . . . and when we stopped, the car had gone and so had my way home.’

‘So it happened when you and Gwaine were . . .’

‘Aha. Do you think that’s significant?’

He shrugged. ‘Or it could be that you’re needed for the ring quest. After all, they wouldn’t have it now if it wasn’t for you.’

‘I’m scared, Percy.’

‘You’re safe here, my lady.’

‘Thank you,’ I said, getting a bit sniffly again and fishing for a tissue.

The discussion about my future was still going on when the door was flung open and a long-bearded man stood in the doorway. The room went silent.

‘Who among you has closed the veil?’ he asked, his voice booming round the room.

We all looked at each other then at no one and finally stared at some convenient inanimate object to avoid his gaze.

‘No one here?’ he asked. More silence. ‘Oh. Oh well, it was worth asking,’ he said with a sigh and entered the bar. ‘Ah, Miss Groves. We meet again.’

‘You . . . you were the man outside the first pub who sent me here, weren’t you?’

He swept a deep bow, waving his hat to the floor. ‘Gandalf at your service.’

‘Your service can be to get me home,’ I said.

‘Ah. That I cannot do.’

‘You can’t? Why not? You’re supposed to be a great wizard, why can’t you get me out of here?’ I realised I was now standing, leaning on the table facing him. It was Percival who calmed me and I slumped back on the seat.

‘Perhaps I could tell you what I know,’ Gandalf said, pulling out a chair and sitting on it, resting his hands on his staff in front of him.

‘More coffee?’ Percival prompted.

I nodded.

‘The veil was opened yesterday. I do not know how it opened but it allowed Miss Groves through to this world to assist with your ring quest.’ A million questions sprang to my mind, but I allowed Gandalf to continue. ‘However, the veil closed before its time and I had to struggle to get through myself. And no, I do not know why it closed early, and I’m sorry you are trapped here, Miss Groves.’

Percival placed a fresh mug of coffee in front of me and I curled my fingers round its reassuring warmth, trying to make sense of Gandalf’s words, but failing.

‘Anything you’d like to ask, Miss Groves?’

‘Why would the veil close early?’

‘Could be any number of reasons. Strong magic-’

‘You have strong magic,’ Gwaine interrupted, looking at me.

‘No, no I don’t.’

‘But the dragon car, the magic doors . . .’

‘They’re not magic in my world, Gwaine.’

‘Or it could be unfinished business-’ Gandalf continued before being interrupted by Frodo.

‘The ring! She is here to help us destroy the ring!’

‘Well, that could be one reason,’ Gandalf agreed, nodding slowly.

‘So . . . so I was meant to stay here? But why me?’

‘Ah, that I CAN answer, my dear.’ I looked up expectantly. ‘Because your name was on the map.’

I let the answer sink in but it still didn’t make any sense. ‘The map?’

Gandalf took the map out from a pocket in his robe and laid it on the table. There, showing at The Crossed Swords Inn, were a number of pairs of footprints. One pair, smaller than the others, was shown as arriving from the edge of the map.

‘Those are yours,’ he said.

‘Who put them on there?’

‘I don’t know,’ Gandalf said. ‘It was like that when it was given to me.’

I felt like I was wading through mental treacle. ‘Given to you by whom?’

‘By the map maker, of course.’

I opened my mouth to ask the obvious question, but quite frankly didn’t have the energy, so closed it again. If Gandalf couldn’t get me out of here, I would have to find my own way home. Somehow.

Gwaine was watching me with concern. He came and sat next to me and gave me a hug. ‘You can stay here until you find a way home.’

‘Am I supposed to helping with the ring quest? I don’t want to go to Mordor. It’s dangerous and lots of people die.’

Frodo looked up at me with large, sad eyes and I immediately regretted my words.

‘Maybe you won’t have to,’ said Gwaine. ‘Maybe, because you’re here, there’s another way.’

Frodo looked more hopeful.

‘And you weren’t in the original quest,’ I said to Gwaine.

‘Wasn’t I?’

‘No. You or Percy.’

‘Well, there you are. Totally different from the version you’ve heard,’ and he squeezed me against him reassuringly. It did make me feel a little better.

‘What do we do next?’ I asked Gandalf.

‘What does the map say, Aragorn?’ Gandalf asked.

‘It is not yet decided.’

‘What?’ I asked.

‘The map does not yet say.’

This wasn’t my understanding of how maps worked so I asked if I could see it. Aragorn handed it over. The Shire was clearly shown, with the route from Hobbiton to where the inn was marked with various sets of footprints in different colours representing the hobbits, Legolas and Aragorn, with Gimli’s joining them here at the inn. Mine were shown entering from The Great Unknown to The Crossed Swords Inn. Mordor was shown in the distance, and there were a few random pictures of marshes and forests, and large expanses of, well, nothing, but no route beyond the inn.

‘So what happens now?’

‘We wait,’ said Gandalf. ‘And the map will reveal the route in due course.’

‘Do I have to stay here?’

‘No.’

‘So where can I go?’

‘Anywhere on the map, my dear,’ Gandalf replied obliquely.

‘Will my home show up when I can go back there? I asked hopefully.

‘The map will show us everything we need to know, my dear. When it’s ready.’ At least that meant I wouldn’t have to camp out in the forest waiting on the off chance that the road would return. ‘Why don’t you keep it, Beth, and then you can see if the map changes.’

‘Thank you, Gandalf.’

He stood and stretched. ‘Well, must be off. Work to do.’

‘You’re going? But will we be able to find you?’

‘Oh yes. You’ll always be able to find me. Gwaine, Aragorn, walk with me.’

With Gandalf gone, the others decided to return to their camp. Wherever that was. I took my bag up to my room and placed it on a chair. If I unpacked, it would be admitting that I was going nowhere, but if I didn’t then I would be rooting around in my bag and everything would be a mess. I unpacked.

I was part way through when there was knock at the door. It was Gwaine.

‘You’re staying then?’ he asked.

‘Looks like I don’t have much of a choice, does it?’ But then I realised that sounded a bit abrupt. ‘I . . . I’m sorry I took it out on you earlier. I know it wasn’t your fault. But if we hadn’t . . .’

‘We don’t know that it would have made any difference,’ he said. ‘Anyway, I wouldn’t have missed that for the world.’ I tried not to smile. I failed. ‘Beth, I don’t want you to go but I’ll do anything in my power to help you.’

‘Thank you, Gwaine.’

‘Erm, can I help?’

‘You just want to handle my underwear, don’t you?’ He considered it for a moment, and then nodded slowly. ‘That wasn’t an offer!’ I said indignantly.

‘Oh? I’ll go back downstairs then.’

‘I’ll be down in a minute.’

I could hear Percy whistling in the kitchen and wandered in to find him. ‘Is there anything I can do?’ He looked up.

‘Not really.’

‘Please. I need something to do. Can I polish the tables? Clean something? Anything!’

He handed me some cloths and beeswax and I started on the tables in the bar. I couldn’t help but keep glancing at the map, but nothing was revealing itself. Stretching before starting on the last table, I looked out of the window. Gwaine was out there chopping wood. He’d at least had the decency to remove his shirt despite the fact that it was still quite a chilly spring morning. This morning when I’d been going home, kissing him had been wonderful given the whole otherworldliness of the situation. But this was currently my world and I wasn’t sure how to handle this at all.

I watched his lithe body as he lifted the axe, his hair flopping forward as his muscles tensed and he curved the blade down into the tree trunk, the slight sheen of sweat on his skin, and decided I was going to make the best of what could be entirely happening in my imagination as, come on Beth, this was Sir Gwaine. SIR GWAINE!

As he chucked the split trunk onto a pile, he saw me watching him. I waved and he smiled back. I returned to my cleaning duties to finish the last table nearest the door. It was wobbly and as I checked, there was something under one of the legs, a folded piece of paper which was actually causing the wobble.

I unfolded it to make sure it was nothing important.

 _Dear Elizabeth,_  it began. I sat down heavily.

_Dear Elizabeth,_

_I’m sure it has come as somewhat of a surprise to find yourself at The Crossed Swords Inn. Indeed, it was not my plan to include you in this at all, but it was necessary. Thank you for your assistance in finding the ring. That part of the quest would have never have succeeded without you._

_I’m afraid that I cannot explain much at this moment, or who I am, but you are safe at the inn. One day you will understand._

The letter was signed with a strange symbol.

I read it again, and then for a third time. It didn’t really help. I took it outside to show Gwaine, watching the intense look on his face as he read it. He handed it back.

‘Not much help, is it?’ I said.

‘At least someone knows you are here.’

‘That’s true. What does this symbol mean?’

‘I don’t know. It’s not one I’ve seen before. Is it . . . mountains, perhaps?’

‘Oh, I thought it looked like a bit like a whale. Or a camel.’

‘What are they?’

‘Animals in my world.’

As we were both examining the note, he rested his hand gently on my shoulder and I leaned into him. He smelt masculine and musky and I breathed in his scent. As Percival arrived at the door drying his hands, I handed him the note.

‘Where did you get this?’ he asked.

‘Under one of the table legs.’

‘What’s this symbol at the bottom? Is it a cow?’

‘We don’t know.’

He frowned, handed me back the letter, then lifted an armful of logs and took them in to restock the store by the fire. I picked up one log in each hand, glared at Gwaine who was smirking at my pathetic attempts at assistance as he followed me in with another armful.

 I went into the kitchen and looked in vain for the sink.

‘Can I help?’ Percival asked.

‘I just wanted some water. I was looking for the tap.’

‘Tap?’

‘Oh. Erm. No running water.’

‘Well . . .’

I waited for Percival to finish his sentence but realised he already had.

‘Erm, out this way?’

‘Come. I’ll show you how it works.’

‘How come you’re so good at making coffee?’ I asked as we walked towards the well at the rear of the inn.

‘This is the Shire. The hobbits love it.’

He released the lock and lowered the bucket until it splashed, and then wound it up, pouring the water into another bucket to take back into the inn.

‘Are you happy here, Percival?’

‘Yes, yes I am, my lady.’

‘Beth.’

‘Beth. I like the simple life here.’

‘And Gwaine?’

‘Gwaine needs to find himself a woman,’ Percival said pointedly.

‘What about you?’

‘Oh, I have one, you’ve just not met her yet.’

‘How fabulous! What’s her name?’

‘Wyn. She’s away at the moment.’

‘And so Gwaine has no . . .?’ A big part me was thinking I should perhaps have found this out sooner.

‘No.’ He looked at me directly. ‘You and Gwaine?’

‘He is very gorgeous. But I can’t stay here, can I?’

‘Can’t you? But until you leave?’

I blushed and he smiled as he turned away to pour the water into a jug for me. I poured a glass. It was icily cold and tasted delicious.

Percival started peeling carrots and I asked if I could help. He rolled half a dozen onions across the table to me and I peeled and began to chop them while I asked Percival about Camelot. He was telling me about their final days there when Gwaine came through from the back, drying his hair on a towel.

‘Hey sweetheart,’ he said, sliding in next to me at the table. ‘What’s the matter? Why the tears?’

‘Oh, it’s OK, it’s just the onions. They were really strong.’

‘Sure?’

‘Yes, I’m fine, honestly.’ I smiled up at him and his eyes swept my face. He stroked away a teardrop from my cheek and it didn’t seem to matter to him that no doubt my eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. Only vaguely aware of Percival clattering away on the other side of the kitchen, I reached out my hand to cover Gwaine’s where it was resting on the table. At my touch, his lips flicked a smile, but then I found myself just staring into those hazel, dark-lashed eyes. He bit his lower lip, the blood draining away and then returning as his tooth dragged away from it. It was like the world was in slow motion as I took in every detail of his face, the gentle curve of his eyebrows, the fine laughter lines, the long, straight nose, the mobile mouth, the neatly trimmed beard. A face that revealed his every emotion.

The mood was broken by Percival bearing down on us. ‘You two, get out of my kitchen,’ he said, threatening us with a ladle. ‘You gazing at each other cow-eyed is enough to spoil the stew. Now out!’

‘Come on, let’s go for a walk,’ I said. ‘It’s too nice a day to be inside. You can show me round.’

I checked the map once more as we left, but still nothing. There was some warmth in the sun as I took Gwaine’s arm and we headed away from the inn to where my car had once been, but it was still forest. He put a reassuring arm around me as I sighed and I leaned comfortably against his shoulder until he turned me towards him and kissed me softly. The rest of the walk was taken at a very slow pace as we kept pausing to kiss. Although we did climb the small hill at the back of the inn with Gwaine pointing out the various dwellings and villages in the vicinity. Looking back towards where my car should have been it was just forest with curls of smoke rising from chimneys. It was as though my world simply did not exist.


	4. Ale, Hair, Dawn and Departures

The sun was directly overhead when we returned to the inn. Percival had baked bread in our absence and served it with a very delicious stew.

'Michelin starred,' I announced when I tasted it. They both looked at me blankly. 'It's very good.'

I was surprised they seemed so little interested in my world, although perhaps Gwaine's foray into it had been enough. It was as we were clearing the table after lunch that Gwaine called me over to the map. A route had now appeared on it and my heart bumped uncomfortably in my chest as I tried to work it out.

'Where is this place?' he asked.

'It says . . . it says London.'

'Percival?' Gwaine asked. He shook his head. They both looked at me.

'Well, I think this must mean London in MY world. This must mean I'm going home!'

'We,' Gwaine corrected.

'What?'

'See these footsteps here, they are solid so it's somebody close to the map. These are yours because they're smaller than those ones. That represents your route and this one next to it represents mine.'

'How do you know they're yours and not Percy's?'

'Have you seen the size of his feet? Those aren't his. But there's a third person. Not Percival, I'm afraid as they are not close. At least I'm coming with you.'

'But not yet.' The voice made us all jump, and we turned to find Gandalf standing behind us.

'I do wish you wouldn't DO that,' Percival said.

'Sorry,' Gandalf replied. 'The route is not yet solid like it is over here. You will not be able to leave until it becomes so.'

'But why are we going to London?'

Gandalf shrugged. 'The map will give more detail later. When it's ready.'

'This map can be trusted?'

Gandalf nodded. 'As far as maps ever can.'

'But why Gwaine? I mean, if this is linked to the ring quest, then why not Aragorn or Legolas?' Gwaine bristled slightly at that suggestion. 'No offence, Gwaine, but this is their quest, not yours.'

'We do not know the third person yet,' Gandalf pointed out.

'When will we know?' I asked.

'When that person gets near here, the footprints go solid. Well, I must let you get on, you'll be busy tonight.'

'We will?' Percival asked.

'Oh yes,' Gandalf replied. 'Your new attraction. Miss Groves.'

I saw Gwaine frown. 'It's OK,' I said. 'I'm sure Percy will look after me.'

'I'm perfectly capable of looking after you myself,' he muttered indignantly, but then started smiling when he saw both Percival and I laughing at him. He sighed and shook his head.

'I'll give you a hand behind the bar,' I said. 'You'd better show me where everything is.'

Gandalf was not wrong. Even before Percival opened the door at sundown, there was a large group already forming.

'If anyone them says ONE word out of place, let me know,' Gwaine said.

'I've worked in enough bars to be able to hold my own, but thanks.'

I had more fun that evening than I had for a long time. The bar was packed, some musicians turned up so there was dancing and singing. There were a few other women in the bar, but it was mostly men. Well, males, because there was a mix of elves, dwarves, and a couple of trolls alongside the men. The musicians created a fantastic atmosphere, but it was very apparent that I was causing quite a lot of interest in the bar.

At one point, I was so warm, I had to go and change into a much lighter top, and there was a whisper of comment on it. I was checking the map whenever I could in the hope that the third person would be identified, but there was nothing and even that became impossible with drinks to serve, glasses to collect and washing up to be done as well as being dragged into dancing, something I was not very good at, but it didn't seem to matter.

I waved encouragingly when Frodo and the rest of the quest party arrived. Percival made space for them at a table by the simple measure of just pushing the current occupants down the bench to the next table. No one complained, they appeared used to it. I brought over a tray of beers, smaller flagons for the hobbits, and carefully distributed them.

'I have some news,' I said to Frodo and Aragorn. 'I will tell you later.'

There was only one hint of trouble that evening. As I was serving the table nearest the door, one of the dwarves pulled at my arm, trying to make me sit on his lap. Gwaine arrived at my side and the dwarf very quickly released my arm.

'You need assistance, Beth?' he asked.

'Sir Gwaine, my humble apologies,' the dwarf began.

'Do not apologise to me, Diffon son of Diffor. Apologise to Lady Elizabeth or I will gut you like a fish.'

Diffon bowed his head to me. 'I am sorry, my lady. I am at your service.'

I had no idea what time it was, or rather, would have been as my watch had stopped and my phone still showed last night's time when I had driven off the main road, but eventually Percival stood on duty at the door, collecting money from everyone as they left.

'How do they know how much to pay?' I asked Gwaine.

'They pay how much they think they should,' he replied. ‘It’s been a good night.’

Only Frodo and the rest of the quest team remained. Gwaine brought beers over for everyone, including me, and Percival bread and cheese, and I sat, exhausted, barely able to speak. It was Gandalf, appearing out of nowhere once again, who brought through the map from the kitchen where the third set of footprints was now solid.

'They're mine,' Aragorn said, looking at the map.

'So you're coming with us to London?' I asked.

'It would appear so,' Gandalf said.

'When do we go?'

'We'll leave at dawn,' Gwaine said.

'Is that a proper dawn or a Camelot dawn?' I asked. Gwaine looked puzzled. 'Well, you always said you'd be riding at dawn, but it looked more like midday when you finally got to go.'

'That was Sir Leon's fault. He always took so long to do his hair.'

'I KNEW it!' I said. 'Anyway, dawn it is then.'

'I'm afraid not,' Gandalf interjected. 'The map will show us when the route is ready and the veil is open. We just have to watch the map. It really is such a useful thing.'

'Where is this place?' Aragorn was studying the map carefully. 'It is nowhere I have been as a ranger.'

'It is in my world,' I said.

Aragorn and Gwaine looked at each other. 'What do we wear?' Aragorn asked.

'No idea,' Gwaine answered.

They both looked towards me. 'Is that the only question you have?' They both paused and then nodded. 'Oh. You'll be fine in anything. But no weapons. Not visible ones, anyway.'

They nodded their reluctant agreement.

Despite the newfound knowledge that I would be going home tomorrow, I could not stop myself from yawning. Everyone was immediately concerned with my welfare, promising they would be there tomorrow to see us off, and Gwaine escorting me upstairs. We stood in the doorway of my room and he spent the next few minutes kissing me so wonderfully that it was all I could do not to drag him across the room and into my bed.

'Tomorrow you'll be home,' he said, his eyes searching mine, but I could see the sadness in them.

‘Wake me early in the morning,’ I said. ‘I don’t want to miss a minute of this place while I’m here.’

'Sleep well, sweetheart.'

* * *

 

The knocking at my door woke me. It was still dark outside and I felt I had only been asleep for five minutes. Already regretting my suggestion that I was woken early, I crossed the room and opened the door. Gwaine was standing there. He looked me up and down, taking in my panda pyjamas.

'Oh! You are already dressed,' he said, not looking the least bit surprised at what I was wearing.

'No! The map?’

‘Nothing new.’

‘Oh. I’ll be down in a minute. Even quicker if there’s coffee.'

He nodded and left me. It was a while later when I dragged myself downstairs, still yawning. Percival handed me a mug of coffee and I sat at the table, barely registering the door opening and Aragorn and the gang arriving. He was carrying a backpack and had brushed and tied back his hair so that he looked amazingly presentable. Gwaine disappeared and returned equally well groomed. I raised my eyes at Percival and he shook his head slowly, failing to suppress a grin.

Aragorn studied the map again, although it was currently showing no more detail, he assured me it would as we got closer to our destination. I insisted that we walked along the path and although I was fully expecting the car not to be there, I was still disappointed when it wasn't. I should have trusted Gandalf.

We arranged a watch at the site in addition to keeping an eye on the map and I walked forlornly back to the inn. Percival conjured up breakfast seemingly out of nowhere, but I was struggling to eat anything. The day dragged on interminably and I took myself off for a walk in the afternoon, down to where Gimli was on watch.

I was in a forest, in Lord of the Rings country, grateful to a dwarf for watching for a car to materialise. Too weird. And then there was Gwaine. That was one of the reasons I'd had to come for a walk, because every time I looked into those sad but hopeful eyes, it was harder to tear mine away.

'I'm not sure I thanked you properly for finding the ring, my lady,' he said as I sat on the fallen tree next to him. 'You must have a very special kind of magic to be able to cross from your world to this one.'

'Me? I have no magic. I have no idea why I'm here.'

'There are many different types of magic, my lady. Just because you have not identified yours does not mean it does not exist.'

I patted him on the shoulder and wandered back to the inn to find Gwaine and Aragorn arguing, with Percival and Gandalf trying to placate them.

'This is not your quest, Gwaine,' Aragorn was saying as they faced each other across the table. 'There is no need for you to come.'

'That is not your decision to make,' Gwaine replied, fingers clenching into fists. 'The map says-'

'We do not have to be bound by the map.'

'You just don't want me to go so you can claim all the glory when Beth succeeds.'

'You don't know that she will.'

'I have more faith in her than I do in you. You’ve already lost the ring down the back of a sofa!'

'And you Camelot knights couldn't find a dead pig in an open sty. There were people running in and out of Camelot like it was an open sewer.'

At this point Gwaine had to be restrained by Percival. It wasn't difficult for him, although Gwaine wasn't happy about it, shrugging him off and straightening his tunic. And then he caught sight of me standing on the doorway and had the grace to look guiltily away.

As I turned my back on the inn and walked away, Gwaine caught up with me.

'Sorry,' he muttered.

'It's not me you should be apologising to.'

'I know, I know, we're just both worried about you.'

'Worried about me? Why? If Gandalf is right, then I'll be going home tonight and all this will be over.'

'You really think that?'

'Yes! Why? Why shouldn't I?' I finished slowly.

He took hold of my arms and looked at me directly. 'Because if that was all there was to it, Aragorn and I would not need to come. And because you're not the first to have come from The Great Unknown.'

'Who else has?'

'Guinevere.'

'Guinevere? Arthur's Guinevere?'

He nodded as he released me. 'She fell in love with Arthur and decided to stay.'

I exhaled. 'Now THAT explains a lot! She was way more intelligent than . . . Erm, didn't you have a bit of a thing for her?'

He blushed. 'She only had eyes for Arthur.'

'So she stayed? Interesting.'

'Am I forgiven?'

'Only if Aragorn has forgiven you.'

He had, and the two men shook hands, each realising how ridiculous their argument had been.

* * *

As dusk approached, and just after we'd eaten, Percival pointed out the changes on the map. The route was now solid. It was time for the three of us to leave. As we walked down the track, it was to find Boromir heading towards us to tell us the car had reappeared. We loaded the car and then I said my farewells to the others.

I hugged them all, saving Frodo for last. 'Whatever it is, we'll do our best,' I promised him.

We were just getting in the car when Gandalf appeared.

'Are you coming with us?' I asked hopefully.

'No, my dear. But I will be there if you need me.'

Starting the car, and watching the others take a step back, I turned round and headed back to the track, Gwaine sitting in the front seat with Aragorn at the back with the map, although it was saying nothing new.

'We're going back to my flat,' I announced. 'IF the map finally gives us any more clues as to where in London we have to go, then we'll take the train in.' I didn't really care whether they understood this or not, they'd find out sooner or later.


	5. Flats, Mats, Towels and Turbans

It took about half an hour to reach the flat, but I could see that the guys were suffering from an overload of new experiences. I’d left them in the car while I went for some provisions, then parked in the car park and finally released them. My flat was in a block for nurses and I was on the top floor. I spared them the lift and climbed the stairs, hoping not to bump into anyone. There was a brief delay as I had to explain that the light bulb was not magic, but was just a very small flame under control from the switch. Just as we were nearing the final door, it flung open and Katy came hurtling through.

‘Oh hi Beth. I thought you were going to Alison’s party tonight? Or are you just getting changed now? I see your . . . friends are all ready for it.’ She paused long enough to take in Gwaine and Aragorn. ‘Have a good time. Shame I’ve got to work,’ and she hurried down the steps.

I checked my phone. It was still saying Saturday night, about three quarters of an hour after I’d originally arrived at the track in the forest. The length of time it had taken me to get back here. It was still Saturday night.

I unlocked the door of my flat and ushered the guys through. They cautiously looked around. I hurriedly moved the magazines off the sofa and invited them to sit down, but they were too busy circling the room looking curiously at the TV, books, DVDs and stereo. I put the food and milk in the fridge, took my bag through to the bedroom and unpacked.

‘Tea? Coffee?’ I asked.

Aragorn looked up from his picture on the Lord of the Rings DVD, while Gwaine was perusing the Merlin collection. ‘Your hair looks really good in that one,’ Aragorn said.

‘Yes, you’re right,’ Gwaine agreed. ‘That’s a good one of you,’ he said, indicating the DVD cover.

I left them to their mutual admiration and put the kettle on anyway. They didn’t seem the least bit alarmed that there were DVDs of them as fictional characters in my living room, they were more concerned with their hair. Honestly!

Aragorn had spread the map out on the table and I put the tray of tea things down next to it. They accepted a cup of tea and a Bourbon biscuit which they examined closely before nibbling and then each taking a second. At least Bourbons were acceptable in this world.

‘I’m going to have a shower,’ I said. ‘Do either of you want to . . . erm, do either of you know HOW to use the, erm, toilet.’ They both looked blankly at me. ‘Come with me.’ Oh God, this was going to be difficult.  These things never happened in the books or the movies. We squeezed into my bathroom which just about housed the toilet, basin and bath with a shower over it. ‘Toilet,’ I said. ‘Erm, water closet?’ I lifted the lid and they peered into it. ‘That’s for sitting on,’ and I lifted the seat. ‘And that’s for if you’re standing,’ I said pointedly. I flushed the toilet and they both took a step back before peering at the swirling water. ‘That’s what takes everything away. And both the seat AND the lid get put down afterwards. Understood?’ They nodded obediently. ‘And you wash your hands here,’ and I turned on the hot tap.

Gwaine tentatively put his finger under the running water and then rapidly withdrew it. ‘That’s hot!’ he said.

‘Yes.’

‘Magic,’ he muttered.

‘Boiler,’ I said. ‘And this is the shower,’ and I turned it on.

Both men looked suitably impressed. ‘What do you do in this?’ Aragorn asked.

‘You wash,’ I said. ‘Something I hope not totally alien to either of you. And something I am going to do now.’ Aragorn seemed particularly taken with the stream of water. ‘Can I watch?’ he asked.

‘No! But you can have your own shower later. Now shoo!’

Half an hour later I returned to the living room to find them sitting at the table staring at my mobile.

‘It did something odd,’ Gwaine said. ‘Made a strange noise and flashed, and someone’s picture came up. Is it alive?’

‘No, no it’s not.’ I saw that the missed call came from Alison. Of course, I was supposed to be at her party. How stupid of me to forget! And now I was going to have to lie to my best friend. I sent a text back. “Sorry, car trouble. Happy Birthday! xx” and sent it before I could feel too guilty. ‘Right, you, shower now,’ I said to Gwaine. ‘Your turn afterwards, Aragorn. I’ve put towels out for you. You do know how to use towels? And don’t get water all over the floor. Use the mat.’

Gwaine dutifully went off to the bathroom, there was the flush of the toilet and then a few minutes later, the sound of the shower. I breathed a sigh. I hadn’t imagined how stressful it would be having these two men in my flat. And then it occurred to me that I hadn’t planned any sleeping arrangements either.

‘Aragorn, will you be all right sleeping on the sofa?’

‘I’d rather sleep on the floor, if I may.’

‘Of course.’

‘Gwaine will be sleeping with you?’

‘Oh. I . . . Oh. I don’t know.’ I retreated to the kitchen while I thought about this and turned on the tap for a glass of water. There was a scream from the next room as the water went scalding hot and then freezing cold, and I shouted an apology. I wasn’t used to having people in my flat. He emerged a few minutes later, one towel wrapped around his waist, another round his head.    

‘Was that your fault?’ he asked.

‘Yes, sorry.’

‘Did you do that on purpose?’

‘No! No, it was an accident.’ I disappeared into the bathroom, the sight of Gwaine in just a towel was too attractive. It appeared to still be in one piece. I got some more towels out for Aragorn and he closed the door behind him.

‘Aragorn’s sleeping on the floor. You can either sleep on the sofa, or . . .’

‘Or?’ he prompted.

‘Or you can share my bed, I suppose.’

He seems to consider these options for an insulting amount of time. ‘Let me just try the sofa,’ he said, and went over to bounce on it. ‘And now the bed.’ He came back looking thoughtful. I raised my eyebrows at him. ‘Difficult decision,’ he said.

‘You’ll be sleeping on the sofa,’ I said, glaring at him.

He started to laugh, and I joined him. He pulled me closer to him and I kissed him. ‘You smell nice,’ I said.

‘I used the green stuff. And the blue stuff. But not the pink stuff.’ He kissed me again.

‘Very wise.’ I kissed him back. ‘The pink stuff is hair remover.’

‘What? Seriously?’ I nodded. ‘But . . . I could have . . . My . . . my hair! My beautiful hair!’

I couldn’t help it, I started to laugh. His mouth took on a sulky mien. ‘Gwaine, did you smell it?’

‘No.’

‘Well if you had, you wouldn’t have used it. Honestly.’

‘What hair do you need removing?’ he asked.

‘None of your business! I thought you knights were supposed to be courtly!’

It was his turn to laugh and then he pulled me against him again and kissed me, this time rather more seriously. Oh Lord, I thought as the pit of my stomach sank dramatically.

We were interrupted by Aragorn finishing in the bathroom and emerging wearing only a pink towel, his long hair streaming down his back.

‘You’re dripping on my carpet,’ I pointed out. I fetched another towel and showed him how to wrap his hair up into a turban. And then I stood back and realised that in this surreal new world in which I found myself, I had Sir Gwaine, Knight of the Round Table, and Aragorn, future King of Gondor, standing in my living room wearing only towels and turbans. I became near hysterical, wiping tears of laughter from my eyes. The two men just looked at each other and shrugged, seemingly not bothered at all.

I laughed until Aragorn informed me that the map had changed again. It was now showing central London, but there was no route indicated.

‘The route can take time to develop,’ he said. ‘Maybe in the morning.’

‘Well, in that case. I’m going to bed. But you can’t until you’ve dried your hair. Aragorn, you first. Wait. Let me see your stomach,’ but the injury I had tended in the inn was barely noticeable. It can’t have been as bad as I’d thought. Or he had healed exceptionally quickly.

He looked suspiciously at me as I sat him on the stool in my bedroom in front of the mirror and began to brush his hair. He flinched when I picked up the hair dryer and I had to show him that it was just hot air being blown from it before he would allow me to dry his hair. And then it was Gwaine’s turn, with pretty much the same reaction and suspicion. I guessed it might take them a while to trust me completely.

Once they were both dried, I dragged a spare quilt out of the cupboard in my bedroom and asked Aragorn to put a clean cover on it. It was like watching a windmill in a hurricane. It ended up with him partly inside the cover and the quilt in a heap on the floor. It took both Gwaine and my assistance to remove Aragorn from the cover, during which time Gwaine dropped his towel and I covered my eyes with my hands. Eventually, the quilt cover was on, and a pillow found, and Aragorn made himself comfortable on the floor.

By the time I had brushed my teeth and changed into my pyjamas, Gwaine was already in my bed. He was looking very comfortable. On my side. I made him move over. I wriggled down the bed.

‘Why are you wearing trousers?’ he asked.

‘They’re pyjamas.’

‘Look like trousers to me.’

‘Why, what do you wear in bed?’

He lifted up the quilt and I could see very clearly that it was nothing. I harrumphed with embarrassment and turned my back on him, leaning over to switch off the light. I lay in the dark, very aware of his naked body only inches away from me. And then he rolled over and snuggled up behind me, sliding his body up against mine, his arms around me, holding me close against him. I could have pushed him away. I probably should have resisted. And then he began to kiss the back of my neck and my resistance melted like an ice cube in a blast furnace.

At my first, ‘Oh!’ he increased the rate of his kissing, his hands starting to explore my body.

At my second, ‘Oh!’ he began to nibble my ear lobe, his hands getting firmer.

At my third, ‘Oh!’ I turned and then melted into his kisses, his hair soft under my fingers. My head was telling me this couldn’t possibly be happening. My body was telling me that this definitely WAS happening, and that I was about to make love with Sir Gwaine. My body won and it was every bit as wonderful as I had, I mean, could possibly have, imagined.

 

I woke in the night and sank comfortably back into the warmth of Gwaine’s arms. So I hadn’t yet woken from this dream. He stirred and pulled me closer, whispering my name. I couldn’t resist him. I didn’t.


	6. Shopping, Drinking, Fighting and Fright

Aragorn was knocking on the bedroom door. I checked the position of the quilt and then called him in.

'It's the map,' he said. 'It's showing a location in this . . . London place.'

'Where?'

'Somewhere called Covent Garden.'

'Any more than that?'

'No. Not yet. Just thought you'd like to know,' and he backed out of the door.

'Right, well, we'd better get up then,' I said, trying to sound matter of fact.

Gwaine stretched luxuriously in the bed next to me, his hair fanned out on the pillow. 'No. I don't think so.'

'What?' I propped myself up on one elbow to look at him.

'Well, this isn't my quest really, is it?' he said, his eyes still shut. 'It's Aragorn's. I really don't think I need to come with you. I think I'll just stay here. It's very comfortable,' and he turned onto his side away from me.

There was half a moment when I thought that he was serious, but I caught his mouth trying not to twitch into a smile.

'OK,' I said, locating my pyjamas on the floor and pulling them on. 'You're probably right. I'll go and finish this thing with Aragorn.'

I was out of the door before he could protest and into the bathroom, still smiling as I showered and emerged in my bathrobe. He was waiting for me, wearing my spare one from the bedroom. It was lavender, and rather short.

'Beth, I was joking,' he said earnestly.

'Really? But you were right. After all, this IS Aragorn's quest. So, Aragorn, I'll just get ready and we can go.'

Gwaine clutched hold of my arm. 'No! You're not going without me. Aragorn, you can't!'

'Aragorn?' I asked.

He pursed his lips. 'I don't think we really need him, do we, Beth?'

'Aragorn!' Gwaine protested, looking between the two of us.

'Shall we let him?' I asked.

'Was he any good?' Aragorn replied.

I shrugged. 'Good enough, I suppose. Oh, OK then, you can come.'

It was only after he'd hurried into the bathroom that Aragorn and I allowed ourselves to laugh.

 

Finally, we were all ready. Aragorn had the map and I led the way to the station and bought us tickets, deciding to walk from the main line station rather than risk taking them on the tube. It would be bad enough with the normal London crowds let alone those crowds in a long tunnel. They both seemed more relaxed this morning, taking both the ticket barrier and actually getting on the train in their stride, but sitting tensely as the train pulled away and looking around nervously as we went under bridges and passed other trains at speed.

They followed me out of the station and up into a crowded London Sunday. They paused to look around, startled by the noise, the taxi horns, the motorbikes, the big red buses. They pressed close against the wall as they tried to take it in and I had to usher them along the pavement and round into a slightly quieter street.

They followed me dutifully until we reached Covent Garden Market which had its usual street entertainers. We stopped and looked at the map. A route from the market was now showing to a road called Henrietta Street. It was not a road I knew, so we followed the map and arrived at the end of the street. It was a fairly ordinary shopping street.

'It's showing number nine,' Aragorn said.

We walked towards the shop and stopped outside. It was double fronted, an outdoor clothes shop. Rohan. I knew what the shop sold but had no idea what it had to do with the quest.

'Wasn't, I mean, isn't there a Rohan where you come from, Aragorn?'

'Yes. The Riders of Rohan. Great horsemen.'

I still couldn't see the connection. 'Let's go in.'

I think I could easily have lost the two men in there for several hours, despite the quest. As it was fairly early on a Sunday morning, we were the only customers and were approached by two very enthusiastic sales men who started explaining the relative merits of the different jackets and trousers to both Aragorn and Gwaine. I left them to it and browsed, hoping to find a clue. Checking the map again, it revealed no more, so I started a more methodical approach, working my way up and down the rows.

I was browsing the maps and guides section hoping to see one called, "Ring Destruction Without Going to Mordor" when a female assistant asked if she could help me. Her name badge said Elen.

'I'm just waiting for them,' I said. I nodded over to where Gwaine had been persuaded to try on a fleece jacket, and was making sword strokes to see how it moved. Aragorn was trying on some trousers, not bothering with anything so conventional as a changing room.

'They're called Striders, Beth. Striders!'

I nodded and smiled.

'Are they your . . . erm, brothers?' Elen asked, tucking her dark hair behind her ear.

I could see where this was leading. 'I'm kind of with that one.' Gwaine was now wielding a walking stick and made some forward parries towards one of the shop dummies. 'And that one's kind of spoken for.' I didn't think Liv Tyler, or Arwen, rather, would forgive me if I was responsible for fixing up Aragorn in my world.

'Pity,' she said.

'Believe me, they're hard work.' I coughed and they looked over, and then remembered why they were here, although it didn't stop Aragorn once again changing in the middle of the shop. It also didn't stop Elen and I observing him.

'Have you found anything?' Aragorn asked.

'As I've no idea what I'm looking for, no.' I approached one of those large circular display cabinets that was filled with an assortment of items including compasses, pen knives, and, on the bottom shelf, something that looked like a horn. It was over a foot long and looked distinctly out of place. I dragged Aragorn over. 'That doesn't look like it should be here.'

He peered closely at it. 'Well! It looks like the Horn of Rohan,' he said.

'Right shop then.'

'Also known as the Horn of the Mark. It's was made by dwarves. I did not even know it was missing.'

'You're sure it's the one?'

'Well, I would need to see it.'

I looked around for an assistant and was spotted by Elen. 'Could we have a look at this please?' She opened the case, took the horn out and handed it to Aragorn. 'You get much call for these?' I asked.

'To be honest, I've not noticed it before. It could have been there for years. There isn't even a price on it.'

Aragorn was tracing a finger over the engraving of the horsemen and reading the runes. He nodded at me.

'Well, as it's been there for so long, you'll be glad to be rid of it, I'd have thought. Erm, how much are you asking for it?'

Elen turned it over and looked at it closely. 'I . . . I have no idea. Why don't we say a tenner . . . and lunch. With him,' and she looked pointedly at Aragorn. I raised an eyebrow at him, and he nodded. 'I'll bring this with me when I come.'

I paid the ten pounds and asked where we should meet. 'The Old Roman Ford,' she said. 'It's a pub down by the river next to Embankment station. I'll meet you there just after one.' I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was a lingering sense of unease as we left the shop.

It was now shortly past eleven so we had a couple of hours to kill. It was another sunny but chilly day, so we stopped for coffee although it took both men a little while to get used to the hissing sound of the coffee machine, and then carried on to Victoria Embankment Gardens where the tulips were in full bloom. At just before one we headed towards Embankment Station where, tucked right next to it, was a narrow entrance into the pub. The river must have been a lot shallower if the Romans could ford it here, I thought. Except I didn't think it ever had been that shallow as I was sure they'd built a port here as the river was so deep. Something was wrong and I hesitated before going in.

'What is it?' Gwaine asked.

'I don't know. I just have a funny feeling about this.'

'Merlin used to get those,' Gwaine commented. 'He was usually right and it was usually bad. What do you think we should do?'

'If we were sent here to get the horn . . .' I paused as my mind threw another interpretation at me. I ignored it. 'Well, we need to get it. I'm just worried that this is a trap. Aragorn?'

'You may be right, Beth. I will go in and check.'

'No, the trap is for you,' Gwaine said. 'I will go in.'

'We will all go in together,' I said, and pushed open the door. It was unnaturally quiet inside, but I walked up to the bar.

'Yes miss?' the elderly gentleman behind the bar asked.

'Three beers, please,' I said. He immediately disappeared to fetch them.

'This is very wrong,' I whispered to Gwaine and Aragorn.

'Why?' Aragorn asked. 'You asked for three beers?'

'Because this is London. There would be at least four different types of beer and, oh, a dozen different types of lager. We need to be careful.'

We took the drinks back to a table by the window and planned our strategy while we waited for Elen. She arrived at just after one as promised, what I presumed was the horn in a Rohan carrier bag. She sat down next to Aragorn and opposite Gwaine and picked up a menu.

'Can I see the horn again?' I asked. Elen looked slightly annoyed, but took it out of the bag. I glanced at Aragorn and he gave me a barely perceptible nod. 'Excellent. Now, what would you like to eat?'

There was some confusion over the menu by the men, but eventually I ordered for us all at the bar. Elen was obviously making a play for Aragorn, or Alan, as I had told him to call himself, just in case. I couldn't inflict Wayne on Gwaine, so he was known as Gary.

Our food arrived and, once Alan and Gary had reassured themselves that it wasn't poisoned, began to eat. Elen was asking Aragorn about where he came from and I was answering for him, saying he was just on holiday for a few days and would be going home soon. A few more people came into the pub. All men, all dark-haired, very tall, some with a distinctive curve to their nose. They didn't look at us, but stood at the bar chatting. As we finished the food, Elen tucked her arm through Aragorn's and invited him out this evening.

'I'm sorry,' he said, 'But I have plans with Beth and . . . Gary.'

'I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you came to see me instead. Just you and me,' and she rubbed his arm suggestively.

'Sorry, but we do have plans,' and I stood to leave, picking up the horn from the table.

That appeared to be the trigger and our exit was suddenly blocked by the eight men at the bar. Elen stepped back to join them as I put the horn into my handbag, pulled it over my head and the three of us faced them.

'Three to one,' Gwaine said, including me in his calculation, which I thought was a bit optimistic. 'Good odds.'

'You don't know these men,' Aragorn said.

'Who are they?' I asked, not actually sure if I wanted to know.

'Black Númenóreans. They work for Sauron. In Mordor. No idea how they got here.'

'Not sure that it matters at the moment. I think we need to get out of here while we still can.'

As planned, I made a run for the door while Gwaine and Aragorn tried to cover me. We had already guessed that it wouldn't work, but at least it had given us an opportunity to take a position closer to the door, not knowing whether there were any other exits. Gwaine was on the left, Aragorn to the right, and I was hoping to be able to slip behind them to the exit when the opportunity arose. Each had drawn knives they had concealed and were balanced in a defensive pose.

The two men edged forward, trying to make room for me, but then the Númenóreans attacked and Gwaine and Aragorn were having to defend themselves with whatever weapons they could lay their hands on in addition to their knives. This included the table we had been sitting at, chairs, even our plates as one Gwaine sent spinning through the air felled a Númenórean by slicing into his windpipe.

I wasn't sure how much I could do to help, but once the Númenóreans attacked, every fibre of my body wanted to defend myself, Gwaine and Aragorn against them. The Númenóreans were large, but they weren't particularly nimble, or clever, and I was rather proud of myself when I managed to trap two of them against the bar simply by pushing one of the tables hard against them, crushing them at thigh level so they doubled over in pain. Another one I hit over the head with a bar stool as he made a lunge for Gwaine while he was fending off another two.

It was Elen who appeared to be in charge, instructing her men where to fight. If I could take her down . . . There was a gap forming with Elen in the centre and I simply charged at her, toppling her, my arm across her throat pinning her to the ground.

'Who are you?' I hissed in her face.

'Elen . . . Elendawen, Messenger of Mordor,' she replied, although beginning to choke.

'And why are you here?'

'The veil lifted and . . . we could come through. We knew . . . Aragorn was here and would be . . . less protected.'

'You used the horn as bait?' She nodded. 'Call them off.'

'What?'

'Call them off or I'll kill you,' I said. 'I'm a nurse. I know as many ways to kill someone as I do to keep them alive.' But actually my threats were not needed as I heard footsteps next to me and turned my head to see a familiar pair of boots, and then looked up to see Gwaine standing over me.

'May I assist?' he said.

He helped me up and I looked over to where Aragorn was guarding a heap of Númenóreans with a bar stool in one hand and his knife in the other. The Númenóreans didn't seem keen on testing him further so I abandoned Elen on the floor, we left the pub and crossed the road to the riverside where we sat down.

'You have the horn?' Aragorn asked. I took it out of my bag and gave it to him, but not before convulsing with relieved but slightly hysterical laughter.

Once I had recovered sufficiently, I turned back to look at the pub. It had disappeared. Somehow, I wasn’t surprised.

'Well done guys,' I said. 'Any injuries?' They both shrugged. 'Shall we go home?'

After Aragorn had checked the map, we set off back to the train station and the safety of my flat, flopping exhausted on the sofa before I remembered to ask again about their injuries. Aragorn's side was grazed where he'd been thrown across a table and there were some cuts to his hands where he'd encountered some glass, but otherwise he seemed unscathed, however I had noticed that Gwaine had started to limp on the way back to the flat from the station, and had even been persuaded to take the lift. He undressed in the bedroom and I checked his knee.

'What happened?' I asked.

'One hit me with a table leg. I think it's OK.'

I checked the range of movement. It was stiff but there didn't appear to be any lasting damage and suggested a hot bath, refusing his offer to join him. I ran it for him with lots of bubbles, much to his amusement. Popping my head round the door later to see if he was all right, he was already asleep so I spent a few moments just watching his face before returning to Aragorn.

'So, these Black whatsits,' I began.

Aragorn looked worried. ‘Black Númenórean. I don't know how they got here,' he said.

'Well, that pub obviously had something to do with it. Although we probably should have guessed.'

'Should we?'

'The name. Old Roman Ford. It's been nagging me ever since we got there. The name had nothing to do with the river, it was an anagram of Land of Mordor.'

Aragon dropped his head into his hands. 'Gandalf warned this could happen.'

'What?'

'Other worlds might become involved. Already you have saved us, twice now. And Gwaine and Percival buying The Crossed Swords Inn was no coincidence. But . . .' he looked up at me and smiled, 'But we did it. We got the Horn of Rohan back. Without it, the Riders of the Rohan could not be summoned to fight Sauron should we need them.'

'So do you take it home now?'

'I will have to.' He took the map out and opened it on the floor. 'You'd better get Gwaine,' he said, looking up at me. For the first time, he actually looked scared. East of The Shire was a castle, its walls dripping with blood. 'It's Camelot,' he said. 'It's in mortal peril.'


	7. Noses, Bruises, Neighbours and Knees

I pushed open the bathroom door. Gwaine was still snoozing amongst the bubbles. I called his name and then leaned over to touch him on the shoulder. He jumped, and his forehead connected with the bridge of my nose and I sprang back, my eyes already watering.

'What is it?' he asked. 'Oh Beth! I'm so sorry. Are you all right?'

I nodded, still clutching both hands to my face and feeling the ominous first warm drips of blood. 'Aragorn,' I said, waving one hand in the direction of the living room. 'S'Camelot. S'important.' I grabbed handfuls of loo roll as Gwaine leapt from the bath. I followed him out with a towel.

'Camelot's bleeding,' Aragorn said.

'Not the only one,' I muttered, but it was true. The map was actually oozing blood. 'Can you get dat onto de table?' I asked, at this precise moment less concerned about Camelot than I was about my cream carpet.

As Aragorn moved it, there was a knock on the door. That was all I needed! 'Put dis on,' I said to Gwaine, finally handing him the towel. Once he'd wrapped it around himself, I opened the door and was relieved to find it was only Katy, still in her nurse's uniform.

'What on earth?' she said, seeing my hand still holding a blood-soaked handful of loo roll to my face. She looked over my shoulder to see Aragorn and Gwaine standing at the table. 'Did one of them hit you?' she hissed. 'Come with me now, I'll get you out of here,' and she started pulling at my arm.

I resisted. 'It was an accident,' I said, although it sounded more like "uxidun".

'That's what they always say. You don't have to defend them now. Come on, let's go,' and she tugged my arm again.

'No!'

My protest made the two men turn round.

'Everything all right, Beth?' Gwaine asked.

I let Katy into the flat so she could see for herself I wasn't a victim of abuse. 'Katy, this is Gwaine . . .' Damn! I wasn't going to use their real names here. Too late. Gwaine bowed formally, despite wearing only a towel. This time a lilac one.

'And this must be Aragorn?' Katy said, smiling at him. He also bowed. I hoped she was taking it all as a joke and was still treating them as their fancy dress party characters. 'So what happened to your nose?' she said. 'Sit down, let me take a look.'

'Gwaine head-butted me. Accidentally!' I added.

Once she'd removed the blood-stained snowball of tissue, it was to find the bleeding had almost stopped. 'You'll live,' she said. 'So where did you meet these two?'

Agghh!!! 'Erm, I was supposed to be giving them a lift to Alison's party, came back to change, but couldn't get the car started again.' I surprised myself with such a lucid explanation.

'Oh that's a shame,' she said, wiping away the dried blood. 'So how come . . .?'

'We went into London.'

Gwaine limped into the bedroom. 'What's the matter with him? Did you make him carry all your shopping?'

'Haha. Sporting injury, I believe.'

'And him?' She was referring to Aragorn's black eye that was beginning to develop.

'Same. So how was work?'

'Just work. I thought you were going away?'

'I am. At least, I will be, if I can get rid of these two,' I joked.

'I'll willingly take them off your hands,' she said. 'Especially that one,' and she nodded over at Aragorn.

First Elen, now Katy. But at least Katy wasn't going to try and kill him. As my nose appeared to have finally stopped bleeding, I went to wash my face in the bathroom. When I returned, she was standing next to Aragorn looking at the map.

'Great prop,' she said. 'So this is . . . where?'

'Oh, it was just something the boys did for the party,' I said, picking it up and folding it into four.

'Can I just see it again?' Katy asked, slowly reaching out for the map.

'Oh it was all made up. Now, I'm really sorry, but we've really got to get going.' Fortunately Gwaine arrived at that point, finally dressed, with his bag packed. I walked over to the door and held it open for Katy. 'I'll give you a shout when I'm back,' I said.

I leaned against the closed door once she'd gone. 'What's the plan?'

'We need to get back to the inn.'

'And then Camelot?' Gwaine nodded. 'Shame, I would have liked to have seen Camelot.'

'But you will,' Gwaine said, looking slightly puzzled. 'The map . . .'

I started to shake my head. 'No, oh no, I am NOT going back. I will take you as far as the track to the inn, but that is it, map or no map. I'm already a day late for my holiday so I’ll just carry on when I’ve dropped you off. Are you actually leaving this evening?'

Aragorn held out his hand for the map and spread it out on the table. Camelot was still oozing blood and there were three sets of tracks leading to the inn, and then a jumble of others joining them there and heading to Camelot.

'You can't even tell if mine are there,' I said, more confident than I felt.

Aragorn shook the map and the footsteps slid down the page and then started to return to the route. 'Look, there yours are,' he pointed out.

Damn. I pulled out one of the chairs at the table and sat down. 'I'm not saying I'm going, but can you talk me through this map thing?' I said. 'It seems to know more about me than I do about myself.'

'You get used to it,' Aragorn said. 'But it's generally right. I've no idea how it works, or who the map master is-'

'The map master?'

'Well, that's our name for the person who provides these and controls them.'

'But . . . how do they do it?'

'We don't know.'

'Why do they do it?'

'We don't know that either.'

'And what happens if you don't follow the map?'

'It's never happened.'

'Never?'

'Well only once to my knowledge. The map showed someone climbing down a cliff.'

'What happened?'

'They didn't notice they were supposed to climb down it.'

'Oh. I take it that didn't end well.'

'It certainly ended quickly.'

 

I had absolutely no intention of going with them to the inn, parking on the road at the very end of the track that I knew for definite was still in my world, but as I lifted out my bag so that Aragorn could take out his, the car simply disappeared. As did the road. And my way home. Again.

'Gah!' I said. This was not the farewell speech I had been mentally rehearsing in the car, thanking Gwaine for being so special, but Aragorn and Gwaine just looked at me as though I should have known better and it probably summed up my feelings just as well. They were right, of course. This was, apparently, my fate, my destiny . . . my imagination playing tricks on me still.

Gandalf was already in the inn, as were the other members of the ring quest team, and, of course, Percival. Given that Gwaine was still limping, and Aragorn's black eye was developing nicely, I found it most amusing that there were more enquiries about my swollen, bruised nose than about either of the men.

'Gwaine, you were supposed to protect her!' Percival stated indignantly.

'It was Gwaine who DID this!' I said.

'Gwaine? What the-?'

'It was an accident!' he protested, and I confirmed this with Percival. ‘But we did have a bit of an incident.’

'Perhaps you'd better tell us what happened, and then we'll tell you what we know,' Gandalf said.

'Have you eaten?' Percival asked.

We all shook our heads. He sighed heavily and went back into the kitchen, returning with something roasted. I didn't dare ask what it was, but it tasted delicious, allowing Aragorn to tell the story while I ate.

'Well done, Miss Groves,' Gandalf said as he finished. 'And then I take it you saw the map?'

'What's happening at Camelot?' Gwaine asked.

'Grave news, I'm afraid. Arthur is missing, six of the knights are dead - no one you two know, and the citadel was set alight.'

'We must go there,' Gwaine said. 'Beth, will you come with us?'

'I know,' I said, my voice filled with resignation. 'We ride at dawn.'

 

Despite us setting off the next morning, the inn was busy with people asking for news of Camelot.

'Beth, can you DO something with Gwaine?' Percival eventually asked. 'He's just getting in the way now, limping around like a three-legged donkey.'

'A wonky donkey,' I muttered. I'd given him some of my strongest pain killers before we left my flat, but they didn't seem to be making any difference, and he wasn't helping by refusing to rest it.

'You. My room. Now,' I said to him, taking hold of his elbow and ushering him towards the rear of the inn. I knew he must be in pain when he didn't respond with a joke. I followed him up the stairs, this time watching his knee. As he entered my room, I could see that his face had taken on a slightly grey tinge and the sweat of pain was on his brow.

'Let me have another look,' I said as he sat on the bed. I eased off his boots, then his trousers. The fact that he made no comment was more worrying than the sight of his swollen knee. I eased my fingers down either side of the kneecap, trying to work out whether I'd missed something important earlier.

But as I ran my fingers over the swelling, it began to recede, the dark bruising at the side of the knee starting to fade under my touch. This was very odd. I worked my way out around the knee and watched the swelling disappearing under the tips of my fingers. It wasn't just improving, it was actually healing before my eyes.

Gwaine sat up on the bed. 'The pain. It's gone.'

'You're sure?'

He looked down at his knee and tentatively flexed it. 'Yes. Completely.'

I looked down at my hands. I'd done nothing different from when I'd examined him in the flat. But the swelling and bruise had completely disappeared, while Gwaine's colour had returned.

'You are a healer,' he said, examining his knee. 'And a powerful one at that.'

'Me? I mean, I'm a nurse, but . . .'

'You are a healer. You have that power.' I honestly did not know how to respond. 'Better to keep this secret, it is a powerful tool and it would put you in danger.'

'Oh great. But what about Aragorn? I can't just leave his eye like that, not if I can help him.' Although that did explain why there was no wound visible on his stomach.

'Perhaps later. No one will remember in the morning. Now, I should help Percival clear up,' and he returned to the bar.

I sat on the bed staring at my hands. Maybe this was why I was here. But if I could heal Gwaine . . . I stood in front of the mirror and placed my fingers on my own nose. Nothing. I stroked either side and then down the middle where it was bruised but it made no difference except brought fresh tears of pain to my eyes. So this physician couldn't heal herself then.

I was barely conscious of the increased level of noise at closing time as the drinkers left, but Aragorn arrived shortly afterwards.

'Gwaine sent me,' he said.

'Let me see your eye.' It was swollen so that he was squinting. I began to smooth out the skin at the edges and he flinched, but allowed me to continue. The effect was the same as with Gwaine’s knee. The redness and bruising began to fade under my fingertips, the swelling reducing under my touch until it had disappeared.

He took my hands and kissed them. 'Healer's hands,' he said. 'Very precious. Thank you,' and left me alone.

Gandalf was the next to arrive. 'A new skill, Miss Groves. A healer. There was a healer I knew in The Shire, but she preferred potions and powders, she was not a natural like you. I wonder what happened to her . . .' and he sank into a reverie.

'So what does it mean?' I asked eventually.

'Oh! Oh, well, it just means you can heal, my dear. That is all.'

'But why here? I can't do this at home.'

'The power of The Shire, I expect.'

'And why can't I heal myself?'

'Because that could make you immortal and that is NEVER a good thing.' He stood and then ran his fingers over my nose, soothing the pain but not healing it. 'Early start tomorrow, my dear. Try to get SOME sleep. Good night.'

Gwaine arrived as Gandalf left. 'Ready for tomorrow?' he asked. 'Percival has found you a sure-footed pony.'

'A pony?' It only just occurred to me that I would actually be riding to Camelot. Riding a horse! I'd only ever ridden a seaside donkey, and that had been when I was seven!

He must have seen my face. 'You don't like horses?' he asked.

'I don't know. I've not met any. Erm, how long will it take to get to Camelot?'

'Three days.'

'Three DAYS! But . . . but I've never ridden a horse. Ever!'

Gwaine walked to the top of the stairs and shouted down to the bar, 'Percivale! Beth's never ridden a horse!'

There was a response, but I couldn't hear it. 'What did he say?' I asked, hoping there was another solution.

'That you'll probably be quite sore.'

'Thanks for that.'

'Better get a good night's sleep then,' he said, pausing in the doorway.

'Don't go.'

He walked towards me, tilted my chin up to his and started to kiss me. I took hold of his tunic and pulled him onto the bed next to me. There was a flurry of kissing, undressing, more kissing and then I rolled him onto his back and sat astride him.

'I may not have ridden a horse,' I said, 'but I'm pretty sure I know the technique.'


	8. Riding, Arriving, Tables and Towers

Of course, it made perfect sense that the men, and elves, dwarves and anyone else who could handle a horse, would go on ahead. Leaving me with the hobbits and the non-riding dwarves, and a few other species I didn’t quite recognise. It was actually a much larger party outside the inn than I was expecting, but Percival managed to supply everyone with breakfast before handing over the keys to Avian Hilliard who would be running the inn while Gwaine and Percival were away.

‘Goodbye, sweetheart,’ Gwaine said, kissing me enthusiastically. ‘Hey, why the tears? I’ll see you in Camelot.’

‘It’s my nothe,’ I said. ‘You thquathed my nothe.’

Gandalf put another soothing spell on it which at least numbed the pain enough for me to say goodbye to him properly. Unfortunately, the spell worked only on my nose and not on the rest of my body which was aching. Perhaps edifying Gwaine on Gangnam Style had not been such a good idea, particularly the way HE interpreted it!

Amazingly, shortly after dawn, the faster riders were ready to leave and we waved them off. It was Gimli who introduced me to my pony which was called Bluebell.

‘Do I really need her?’ I asked Gimli.

‘Maybe not now, but you will tomorrow when we cross the mountains.’

We followed the same track making a motley crew of horses, ponies and pedestrians as we headed east towards the mountains.

‘Are we going near Hobbiton?’ I asked Frodo.

He looked wistfully back the way we had come. ‘No. Home is that way.’

‘Is this delaying the ring quest then?’

‘You do not think all of this is connected? Camelot being attacked?’

‘Well . . . perhaps.’ The crossover between Merlin and the Lord of the Rings was confusing enough to me as it was, so I had no idea of a link between Sauron and Camelot.

I asked Frodo to tell me about life in The Shire and this passed a pleasant couple of hours as we trudged along the slowly steepening track and into the mountains, our ponies following obediently. By dusk, we were well into the foothills, heading for the easiest pass between the peaks. It was colder but there were adequate supplies of blankets and the warmth of the fire. It was the howling of the wolves that was the most disturbing, and the fact that Gwaine was not there to comfort and protect me. I suddenly realised how much he’d come to mean to me and how much I missed him.

The creeping dawn light woke us all and after breakfast, or first breakfast as the hobbits insisted on calling it, and we set off along the narrowing track until Gimli suggested I mount my steed (as he called it) and helped me up. It wasn’t my most elegant manoeuvre, but I was soon astride Bluebell and she didn’t seem to object to me.

‘Sit forward, up straight, knees, toes and elbows in,’ Gimli instructed. ‘Hold the reins loosely, steer with your knees not her mouth, and don’t fall off.’

The saddle, which had initially felt comfortable, was soon beginning to chafe and bruise in places I didn’t know I had places. After two further nights and another day’s journey, the fairytale spires of Camelot came into view and I’d never seen a more welcome sight.

We eventually clattered into the courtyard in the last of the late afternoon sunshine and were met by grooms who took away the horses and ponies. I patted Bluebell as she was led away, grateful for her taking me safely through the mountains, even if parts of my body were not so appreciative.

I was looking round, half hoping, no, considerably more than half hoping, that Gwaine would be there to meet me. Instead I saw a petite dark-haired girl trotting down the steps towards us. The men bowed to her and the women curtseyed and she acknowledged them as she hurried towards us.

She stopped in front of me as the others bowed I tried to curtsey, but she stopped me.

‘Your hair,’ she said, reaching out to touch it. ‘And your clothes. Are you . . .?’

‘From The Great Unknown? As are you, Queen Guinevere?’ I finished quietly.

‘You know? How? And call me Gwen, please.’

‘Gwaine told me.’

‘HE knew? He never said.’

‘Is he here?’ I asked hopefully.

She shook her head. ‘They’ve gone to search for clues to find out where Arthur has gone.’

‘No news then?’

‘No.’

‘I’m sorry, you must be worried sick.’

‘And you must be exhausted. Come, I will have a bath drawn in your chambers.’

I had bathed and was feeling a little better when there was a message to say I was invited to dine with Guinevere. I followed the guard down the staircase and along several corridors to Guinevere’s rooms. She waited until the guard had gone and then ushered me to sit, asking after my health.

‘What happened to, Arthur?’ I asked.

She sighed. ‘There’s not a lot to say. There were lots of loud bangs in the courtyard, Arthur went running down to find out what they were, there were more bangs, six knights killed and Arthur disappeared.’

‘No ransom note?’

She shook her head. ‘No, nothing. I don’t know where he’s gone. Beth, I’m scared.’

‘We will help you find him.’

‘Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that.’

‘And Gwaine and Percival are back. They will help. And the Lord of the Rings guys. They’re excellent at tracking. They will find him.’

‘Yes, yes, you’re right. But they don’t have Merlin.’

‘What happened to him?’

‘We’re not sure. Once magic was accepted and Camelot was at peace, there was no reason for him to stay here, so he moved on.’

‘And you’ve not heard from him? Shame, I was quite hoping to meet him.’

‘You’d heard of him?’

‘Erm yes. Didn’t you see Merlin on the TV?’

She frowned. ‘No. But I have been here a long time now, and I have chosen never to go back.’

‘So what happened to you in . . . in my world?’

‘I don’t know. Once I got here, I was too scared to leave in case I could not return. It was, well, Arthur.’ We both looked up as there was a knock at the door. ‘Come in!’

‘My lady, the search party has returned.’

‘The king?’

He shook his head. ‘No, they came alone.’

‘Come Beth, let us go and meet them.’

 

* * *

 

‘The Round Table,’ I said, circling it slowly. ‘The Round Table! This is actually the Round Table!’

There was the sound of footsteps and the knights, Aragorn and Legolas swept in. Gwaine and Percival had been joined by Sir Leon. As they bowed before the queen, she inclined her head towards them.

‘What news?’ she asked.

‘We believe we know where the king is being held,’ Sir Leon replied.

Standing next to Gwaine, I could understand the rumours of the hair wars and the delays to them riding at dawn, Sir Leon’s tawny hair tumbling in unruly curls above piercing blue eyes. But my heart was responding to Gwaine’s presence, thumping hard in my chest, my eyes drawn to him as Leon spoke.

‘Where?’ Gwen asked.

Leon paused dramatically. ‘To a tower. A tower so dark it could swallow the sun. It is called . . .’

‘The Dark Tower?’ I suggested, getting a bit annoyed at the theatricals.

‘You have heard of it?’

‘Lucky guess,’ I answered drily.

‘Where is this tower?’ Gwen asked.

‘Through the impenetrable forest and across the dolorous plain,’ I said.

‘You know where it is?’ Leon asked, surprised.

‘I know of it.’

Gwen looked scared. ‘It sounds very dangerous.’

‘We must go. He is our king,’ said Leon.

‘You will go too, Sir Gwaine, Sir Percival?’

They both nodded.

‘As will Legolas and I, my lady.’ Aragorn added. Gwen nodded her thanks.

‘And me,’ I said.

‘No!’ Gwaine was looking directly at me. ‘It is too dangerous. We cannot take you.’

‘You must. I know how to get you through the impenetrable forest.’

‘But it’s-’

‘Impenetrable. I know, I know. But you will need help and I’m not taking no for an answer. Right, now that’s sorted, we leave at first light, I presume?’ There was a nod of agreement.

‘Sir Leon, you will make the arrangements for the search party?’ Gwen asked.

‘Yes, my lady,’ and he bowed deeply and left the room.

‘You will be all right, Gwen?’ I asked.

‘Yes. Yes, Beth, I will be all right. Thank you. Good night,’ and she followed Leon out of the room.

Legolas was asking me about my journey when I felt Gwaine’s hand around my waist. Legolas took the hint.

‘Good night, Lady Beth. Sleep, erm, well.’

I hugged them all as it was good to see them, and they departed leaving Gwaine and me together. As soon as the door was shut, Gwaine and I were kissing. He pushed me back against the round table and I sat up on it, wrapping my arms around his neck as he kissed me.  

Oh it felt so wonderful to be kissing him again. Being able to run my fingers through his hair, stroke his beard, taste his lips on mine. His fingers moved under my shirt to touch my skin and I wrapped my legs around his thighs to pull him closer towards me. And then I could feel him smile under the kiss, and his fingers started to undress me as I sat on the edge of the Round Table.

‘Gwaine! We can’t! Not here!’

‘Tell me to stop and I will,’ and he started to kiss down the side of my neck.

‘Oh!’

‘You want me to stop?’

‘Oh no. Oh no, no, no.’

I clung to him as he made love to me, gently at first, and then more enthusiastically as I encouraged him on until, both spent, I held him tight against me, the hardness of the Round Table contrasting with the softness of my body and the strength of his. He lifted me from it, into his arms, and we returned to my room, lying entwined until waking in the pre-dawn.


	9. Socks, Cheese, Rhymes and Writhing

As we gathered in the courtyard, there were already rumours of armies forming to take the rich lands of Camelot in Arthur's absence. We had to find him, had to bring him back. I was trying to remember what I could of the Dark Tower.

'Percival, do you have some socks with you?'

'Socks? Erm . . .'

'You'll need them.'

'I will? You must have been talking to my mother.'

'Well actually I have. On twitter.'

'Twitter? What is that? You communicate via the birds?'

'Something like that. And she's very concerned about your incident of . . . palsy.'

He looked away embarrassed and muttered. 'I'll get those socks.'

'And we'll need extra water bottles. Erm, flasks. Bags. Things. What ARE these called?'

'Flasks is fine,' Gwaine said. 'Beth?'

'Sorry, it's just that . . .'

'What do you know of the Dark Tower?'

'Too much, but not enough to be of much help, I suspect.'

Percival returned, waved his socks at me as proof, and then packed them away. I had already apologised to Bluebell for not giving her a proper rest as I inelegantly mounted her once more, causing Gwaine at least to smile. Gwen was there to bid us farewell.

'Gwen, do you have a brother,' I asked.

'No. Why?'

'Or know an Elyan?'

She shook her head. 'No. No one of that name.'

'Oh good. Perhaps we can all come back then,' and we set off towards the Dark Tower.

 

As we made the camp the first night, everyone was restless with enforced good humour. The food was shared out and I bit into a piece of the cheese, and then immediately spat it out in a very unladylike manner.

'What IS this?' I asked, looking at it suspiciously.

'It's cheese that tastes of apple pie,' Gwaine said. 'Delicious!'

'It's revolting! I had no idea it actually existed. Why? Why would you want to eat this? Why would you want to even MAKE it?'

'Well if you don't want yours . . .'

'You're very welcome.'

I curled up next to Gwaine, trying to get comfortable on the forest floor, and failing.

'Keep still,' Gwaine hissed.

'It's all right for you, you're used to this,' I muttered, fidgeting until I eventually found somewhere half acceptable, but even then, what with the knights snoring, the wolves howling and the strange rustling noises coming from the bushes, it was not a restful night.

The following day found us at the edge of the impenetrable forest. There was nothing to do but to start trying to struggle through. And then I was distracted by a fluttering to one side. I left the guys to their hacking and slashing and followed the noise.

'Queen Mab, I presume?'

The fairy nodded and smiled, settling on a branch, wings fluttering.

_'Welcome Beth, you have done well_

_To make it through this wood of hell.'_

'Listen, can we drop this rhyme,

We simply do not have the time. Damn!'

Mab's laugh was tinkling.

_'I know what 'tis you want from me,_

_But this you know, there is a fee_

_So first my pay, I'll take that ring,_

_I've not seen such a pretty thing.'_

She was referring to the diamond eternity ring my grandmother had given me. A very high price. Except Nanny Betty, after whom I was named, had always told me that people were more important than objects. And Arthur needed rescuing, both for Gwen's sake and Camelot's. I took off the ring and handed it to Mab. It fitted over her wrist and she pushed it high up her arm.

'Tell me, is the tower a trap?

This rhyming is a heap of-'

_'Beth! Your wit has won me round_

_The Tower is waiting to be found._

_You must return the way you came_

_Beware the Tower, it is no game._

_Three tasks you will perforce complete_

_The man, the elf and you, one each._

_All will test you in their way_

_What you hold dear will be your pay._

_The man, he will not want to fight_

_Kill from the back will see him right._

_The elf must miss his target true_

_If Arthur will come back to you._

_But you will have the hardest task_

_And no one else you can but ask_

_Your heart may break if true it seems_

_But it is not, it is your dreams._

_You must not talk, you must not move,_

_Just wait and watch, your love to prove._

_Farewell good Beth, you are so fab_

_And this is from your friend, Queen Mab.'_

And Mab disappeared as quickly as she had appeared, just her tinkling laugh remaining but leaving a silver key on the branch which I put into my bag.

 

'OK, we go back this way now,' I said.

'But we've just come from that way!' Gwaine protested.

'Look, I could make up some story about being able to smell the sea from the North, but that's nonsense and you'll just have to trust me or carry on until you die of exhaustion.'

As we headed back through the trees, I hoped Mab was right, but before long we were stood on the edge of the Dolorous Plain, the Dark Tower looming in the distance.

'Are all the water flasks full?' I asked. 'And Percival, put your socks on otherwise you'll get blisters and I couldn't bear telling your mother I'd done nothing to prevent them.'

* * *

It was a long, dull trudge across the plain, the oppression of the Tower worse than the eerie silence of the desert. We took it in turns to lead from the front, the others sheltering from the hot wind that was blowing head on. The Tower seemed to suck any positive thoughts from your mind and appeared to be getting no closer until suddenly we were at its base.

We ate and drank before entering, not quite knowing what we were going to find. Gwaine led the party into the tower and we slowly climbed the steps in single file. We stood in the empty room, and then there was a howling cry that echoed around the tower. It was not Arthur, more a tormented soul that was joined by many others until we were driven nearly demented by the noise, falling to our knees and squirming on the floor with our hands over our ears trying to cut out the horrifying noise before it drove us insane.


	10. Fighting, Fear, Helpless and Hurt

Gradually the screaming subsided, but then they appeared. All in white, six ghostly women with swords. The men tried to draw theirs but only Aragorn succeeded. The rest of us were unable to move at all.

'I cannot fight them,' he said. 'They are women.'

'You must, Aragorn. You can kill them only from the back. You have to. This is the first task to free Arthur.'

'You are sure, Beth?'

'Positive. Kill them!'

I even surprised myself at how bloodthirsty I sounded, but it spurred Aragorn into action and he approached the first one warily. She was not so much walking as hovering, her sword clasped in two hands, ready to strike. Aragorn balanced his sword carefully and then she struck first, the sparks flashing as metal hit metal. Aragorn pierced her from the front and I could see the unease on his face, but it made no difference, she continued the attack. This time he managed to turn her and then pierced her spine and she disappeared with a howling shriek.

The next two attacked together and I could see the knights and Legolas trying to free themselves to help, but in vain. Aragorn was pressing them back towards one wall when he drew one towards him on his sword, and turned her, stabbing her in the back with a dagger from his belt and pushing it straight through her as she disappeared and into the second opponent.

Which left the final three. I could barely watch as they simultaneously attacked, forcing him back in our direction and to his likely death if he got tangled with us. I could see that he was wounded on the arms where his parrying against all three swords was simply not possible. But then he rolled onto the floor between two of them and stabbed them in the back as he rose before they could turn. Then it was just one on one. She fought impressively, but was no match to Aragorn's superior skill and he ran her through from the front as he stabbed again in the back with his dagger.

The howling returned, reached a crescendo and then died away as the first part of the test was completed and we were released from our positions. Aragorn had fallen to one knee, resting his head and hands on his sword. It was Leon who reached him first.

'Do not fear that you have done wrong, Aragorn. Women were sent because they knew it was against everything you hold dear to fight them.'

Aragorn looked up. 'Thank you,' he said quietly, but there was no time to rest as the end wall was shimmering and a large colourful archery target appeared.

'This one is mine,' Legolas said, swinging his bow from over his shoulder and setting the first arrow in place.

'Legolas, you have to miss.'

He turned to look at me. 'You are serious?'

'Yes, you cannot hit the target.'

He shrugged and took aim, and as he did so the target expanded to the size of the wall apart from a shape in the centre. A human shape. The very convincing image of Aragorn.

Legolas glanced to his left to make sure Aragorn was actually still at his side, but the image within the target was uncannily real.

'Shoot it,' Aragorn said, but as Legolas raised the bow, we could see that his hand was shaking. 'Shoot it!' Aragorn repeated. 'It is not me.'

‘Should I aim to kill it, Beth?’

‘I don’t know, I don’t . . . No. No!’ I didn’t know why I said that, but even though I knew it was only the image of Aragorn, I couldn’t bear to see even that die. ‘Just wound him. It.’

Legolas loosed the arrow, hitting the false Aragorn in the shoulder. Except the real Aragorn also dropped to the ground clutching his shoulder which was pouring with blood.

I rushed to Aragorn’s side and we eased off his jacket and tunic. There was blood pouring from a wound in exactly the same location as the arrow Legolas had fired. Legolas was distraught as though he’d done it deliberately.

I knelt down beside him and pressed my fingers against the wound. If ever I needed some healing powers it was now. At first I thought it wasn’t working, but gradually the bleeding stopped and the wound began to heal, although it was much slower than it had been back at the Crossed Swords, perhaps because we were a long way from the Shire. Aragorn smiled gratefully at me, but then looked beyond me. Another figure had formed in the centre of the target. This time it was Percival.

‘No! I cannot do this,’ Legolas said.

Percival strode over and grasped Legolas by the shoulders. ‘You must do this. Beth will heal me, but you must do it.’

‘Not the arms!’ I said. ‘Please, not the arms! Just in case . . .’

‘Hand?’ Percival suggested.

Legolas reluctantly nodded and turned to face the target, raising his bow. I could see him shaking and he took a few deep breaths to steady himself. I took more wadding out of my bag and made Percival sit with his hand in my lap.

As the thud of the arrow hit its target, Percival grunted with the pain, but I held onto his wrist firmly, pressing the wadding onto his palm and then beginning the healing as best I could. This was truly horrible, Legolas being forced to injure his friends, albeit indirectly. As the blood was staunched and the healing began, I was focusing so much on Percival that I did not notice the silence that had fallen around me.

It was Gwaine kneeling down next to me, a look of such concern on his face that I instinctively reached out to him in fear. ‘Is it you?’ I asked.

‘I only wish it were.’

I looked round to see the third person now framed by the target. It was me.

‘I will not do it,’ Legolas said adamantly, putting down his bow and arrow.

‘It must be done,’ I said. ‘And I’m damned sure I’m not going to let any of this lot loose firing arrows at me. You’re the only one who can do this.’

‘But you will not be able to heal yourself,’ Gwaine pointed out.

‘I know. But it has to be done if we want to get Arthur back.’

‘Beth, I cannot let you do this. I would offer up my own life for you if I only knew how.’

‘I know you would,’ I said, stroking my fingers down his cheek to try to brush away the hurting that was showing in his face. ‘But I have to do this and you cannot save me.’

‘Tell me what I can do.’

I prepared what little first aid items I had left and explained what he had to do. I then went to speak to Legolas who was standing away from the rest of the group.

‘Can you aim for the left arm, around here,’ I said, indicating above my elbow and hoping it would cause me the least discomfort and inconvenience while it healed. If it healed.

He nodded. ‘I will do my best.’

‘Thank you.’

I returned to the others and sat on the floor next to Gwaine. He held my hand tightly as I braced myself for the pain, deliberately not looking at Legolas, although I heard the whoop of the arrow, heard a thump as it made contact, and then the pain hit me.

I was surprisingly calm as I held the pad over the wound. Legolas had done an excellent job, the wound was deep but was in the fleshy part of my arm without having touched the bone. Hopefully it would heal well. Gwaine bandaged me and sat there holding me until I nodded that I was fine.

The room had emptied completely and, even though I knew it was my task next, there appeared to be nothing happening. Although perhaps that HAD been my task, but it didn’t fit in with Mab’s words.

'Let us see if we can find the king,' Leon suggested, and we all began to leave the empty room.

Except I could not. The door was shut in front of me and I was alone in the room. I turned, heart thumping, to see a single chair placed close to the adjacent wall. I waited, but nothing happened, so took my place on the chair, expecting chains or binds or something, but nothing. I was just sat on a chair in an empty room. What was it Mab had said? I must not move or talk. I sank back into the chair, looking down, seeing if there was anything around the chair, and when I looked back up the room had shrunk to half its size and a large bed had appeared clad in white linen. I had no idea what was happening, so just waited.

Then the room went pitch black and I gripped the arms of the chair, ignoring the pain in my arm. When the light returned, Gwaine was lying on the bed. It went black again and then there were two women standing either side of the bed. I could feel my fingers clutching the chair arms as they climbed onto the bed next to him and began to undress him.

_This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't happening._

Gwaine started to respond to their touch, reaching out to them, pulling them towards him, kissing them, touching them.

_Do not move. Do not move. This is not real._

And then they removed their own flimsy garments and I could not watch. I closed my eyes. But when I opened them it was as though the pause button had been pressed - they had not moved until I was observing them again. There was no escape from this. I was forced to watch Gwaine make love to two women and could not look away.

I recognised some of the things we had done, the way he had stroked my hair, the way he had kissed along my collar bone, the way a smile would break out suddenly on his face and it was unbearable watching him do those things with someone else.

_It is not real. This is not happening._

My fingernails were digging into my palms as I clenched my fists as he made love with the first woman.

_Do not say anything. Do not move. This is not real._

It was only when he started to speak that I could almost feel my heart breaking. That rich gravelly voice saying the things to her that he had said to me, using the same terms of endearment, the same phrases, calling her sweetheart. I was in agony.

When he turned to the second woman and began again, it was sheer torture, but I stayed sitting even though I was shaking with emotion.

_This is not real. I will get through this. I will survive this. This is not real._

At the end of their lovemaking, I had to close my eyes. When I opened them again, the two women were leading Gwaine from the bed to a frame that had appeared in front of me. They lifted his arms and tied him to the frame so he was hanging from his wrists.

_What more can they do to me? What more can they do to him?_

But I had not considered the depths to whoever was doing this would sink. The two women started to scrape their nails across Gwaine's skin, breaking it. Strangely, there was no blood, it was immediately healing, but the pain was clear on his face and the scars they left bore testament to their creation.

No, they could not do this, not to Gwaine. This was torture both for him and for me. My body tensed to run to save him, to free him from the bonds, to protect and hold and comfort him. But I knew I had to stay where I was.

His body was zig-zagged with scars, raw and angry against the tanned flesh, burning a cruel history on his body. His face showed his agony, his eyes, when he could bear to open them, shadowed with pain. I was openly sobbing now, choking the screams of anguish in my throat.

But they were not finished. One of the women produced a razor and began to cut his hair, the burnished locks falling swiftly to the floor, the ultimate humiliation. They cut his hair so short I could see pale scalp through the shorn darkness. And then he looked towards me, his eyes hollow and resigned, the sadness so desperately deep in them, and I was overwhelmed with love for this man. Whatever they could do to this brave, noble man would not change the way I felt about him. For the first time I admitted to myself what that was. I loved him. I was in love with him. A strange calmness flooded through me, quietening my sobs, just allowing me to look at him with love.

'I love you,' I mouthed. And once I'd said it once, albeit silently, I could not stop saying it.

And then darkness surrounded me and I must have lost consciousness as I woke to find my wrists strapped to the chair with leather bonds. It took me a few moments to realise where I was and then I remembered what I'd seen.

'Gwaine?' I asked, desperately fearing the worst, that it had been no vision.

'He is safe,' came a voice from the far end of the room.

Three people were standing there, one woman lit in the darkness of the room but flanked by two men in the shadows.

I stared at them in astonishment. 'You!'


	11. Recognition, Explanation, Loss and Leaving

'Katy? Katy! What on earth . . .?'

'You recognise me then, Beth.'

'Of course I do, Katy, we've been neighbours for three years.'

'Ah yes, you know me as Katy, these two know me as the High Priestess Magistra.'

'But . . . where's Gwaine? Where's Arthur? And who are "these two"?'

'So many questions, Beth, but not the right ones.'

I was starting to get VERY annoyed. 'Where . . . is . . . Gwaine . . . and . . . where . . . is . . . Arthur?'

'Beth! This isn't like you.'

She looked very different in this world, wearing a long black tightly corsetted dress, her hair cascading in snaky ringlets either side of her face. Although nowhere near as tall as her shadowy companions, she certainly had more presence than when I saw her in her nurse's outfit, hair scraped back into an untidy bun.

'How about, why the hell have you just put me through all that? I thought you were my friend!'

'Oh I am, back there. And anyway, your arm will heal.'

'It's not my arm I'm worried about.'

Katy had the decency to look slightly ashamed. 'It's this place. It really does bring out the very worst in people.'

'Well if you've quite finished, you can release Gwaine and Arthur and we'll leave you to . . . whatever it is you normally do when you're not working at St Clements.'

Katy laughed. 'Oh I only go there for the drugs and the portal to the Shire.'

'There's a portal to the Shire in St Clements?' I asked, astounded.

'Oh yes. You know where the old smoking room was?'

'Well, I never went there, the whole corridor stank. But they closed it down, didn't they?'

'Of course. But there's a cupboard in that room, and that's a portal to the Shire. As you know, time stands still in our world when we're in this one, so I could pretty much come and go as I pleased and stay here as long as I liked. I assumed you'd found it too when I saw you with Gwaine and Aragorn.'

'No, that was a different route. Just temporary. So how did you find the portal in the hospital?'

'Oh, going back the other way from one of the smials in Hobbiton. I first came through the veil into Camelot, but that first time was not a good experience. Fortunately I found the Shire.'

'So why not just stay in the Shire?'

'Oh I wanted to! I discovered I had some mild healing powers, admittedly not as strong as yours, but what I couldn't heal with my own hands, I could get drugs for from the hospital. I was worshipped by the Hobbits. They loved me.' She was starting to sound slightly manic. 'Beth, I was TALL in the Shire, I tell you, I was their queen! Until HE came along.'

'Who?'

'Gandalf!' She spat out the word.

'Gandalf?'

'Yes! He turned up with his spells and his fireworks - God how I hated his fireworks - and the hobbits all went flocking to him. Didn't want ME any more, I wasn't good enough now they had Gandalf and his fireworks, so I decided to leave the Shire. And that's when I met these two.'

She summoned the two men out of the shadows who obediently joined her, one on either side and then kissed them both fiercely.

'Merlin? Mordred! What the . . .?' I asked. These were the LAST people I was expecting to see.

Katy grinned. 'Well, you didn't think you were the only one who could pull in this world, did you?'

'But BOTH of them? Katy, I really don't understand all this.'

'I never expected you to. I never expected you to understand that being evil is SO much more fun than being nice.'

'Katy!'

'It's true! Ask these guys!' Merlin and Mordred were standing either side of Katy, each with an arm around her waist. It was Mordred who spoke first.

'It's true. Once I'd been banished from Camelot, although they said it was to look after Kilgharrah, but he hated me, there wasn't much of interest for me. Not until I met Katy.'

Then Merlin spoke. 'After Camlann when peace was declared, there was no need for me and my good magic. I was cast aside, not needed, surplus to requirements, a man without a role. Until I joined up with Katy.'

'Katy, these were not evil men!'

'They are now,' and she laughed.

'But why?' I asked, getting a bit tetchy, which was probably not a good idea.

'Because being good is dull, dull, dull.' Mordred and Merlin both nodded. 'Can you imagine how much fun we've had plotting these little tests? It's just a shame you passed them, really. Still, that hardly matters.'

'Hardly matters?' I wrenched against the clasps. 'You had us shot, and what you did to Gwaine-'

'That was just your worst nightmares coming true. We did nothing to your precious Gwaine, even if he was the most . . . interesting of the knights.'

'So where is he then?'

Katy looked slightly shifty. 'As I said, he's safe.'

'You don't know where he is, do you?' Katy refused to reply. 'And they've freed Arthur, haven't they?'

'Well, I'll be glad to see him go, to be honest. He was a bit whiny and couldn't even dress himself properly.'

'And I wasn't going to help him,' Merlin added. 'Not any more. No siree.'

'So what are you going to do now you've lost Arthur?'

'We've still got you.'

'And?'

'You don't think your beloved Gwaine will come back for you? Try to rescue his maid in a tower, his damsel in distress? Wasn't that what he was born for? Well, he can try . . .'

She was mocking me now, but it did make me think. What if Gwaine did come back to try and rescue me? Back into another trap.

Katy looked at me smugly. 'He won't succeed. This tower is invisible to any man. Not even the great Gandalf will be able to find it.'

She had a horrible air of certainty about her.

'So if he doesn't come back-'

'He can't.'

'If he can't come back, what are you going to do with me?'

'Well, to be honest, we didn't think you'd make it this far.

Methinks a fairy you did meet

Whose clues she gave the tasks to beat.

Queen Mab was one for aiding quests

No doubt she helped you beat those tests.

Damn! Why does she make you DO that?' and she folded her arms crossly.

'So you could just let me go,' I suggested hopefully.

'Well, we could, yes, but . . .' she glanced to either side of her, 'But we're not going to do that, are we?'

Merlin and Mordred shook their heads.

I sat back in the chair and waited.

 

* * *

 

The door burst open and we all turned. A woman was standing there, sword in hand, long blonde hair streaming down her back.

'How did YOU get in? Katy asked.

'I opened the door,' the woman replied.

Katy turned to Merlin and Mordred. 'Which one of you set this spell? Did you specifically say "Man"? Idiots!'

'It was him,' Merlin said, pointing at Mordred.

'It was NOT!' Mordred replied.

As Katy turned her back on Beth and the blonde woman to castigate the two men, the woman took out a dagger and slit the leather bonds.

'Come on,' she hissed, and I followed her down the stairs and out of the tower, clutching my arm as we started to run across the plain.

As no one seemed to be pursuing us, we slowed.

'Thank you,' I said.

'Amateurs,' she muttered. 'Anyway, hello. I'm Éowyn.'

'Éowyn! Of course! I'm Beth,' and we smiled at each other and then continued across the plain towards the forest. 'How did you know I was there?' I asked.

'I take it you were part of a group when you arrived?'

'Yes, Legolas and Aragorn, you know them, don't you?'

'Oh yes.'

'And Gwaine and Percival from Camelot? Do you know them?'

'I certainly do. Percival and I . . .'

'Of course! He said you were called Wyn, I should have worked it out.'

'He spoke of me?' she was blushing.

'He is missing you.'

'A shame I missed them, although I didn't realise it was them that I saw.'

'You saw them? All four?'

'I saw five.'

'Of course, they found Arthur!'

'I should have recognised Percy. You won't tell him, will you?' she laughed. 'Seeing him with Legolas confused me. I do hope he remembered his socks, he does suffer from blisters. Anyway, it was quite odd. They were wandering around aimlessly. Of course, now I know they couldn't see the tower, that makes more sense. One of them, judging by his hair, it must have been Gwaine,' which was reassuring, 'seemed to be refusing to leave at all, but the others dragged him away. So I thought I'd have a quick look in the tower . . . and here we are! Water?' and she offered me a drink from her flask.

As we reached the edge of the plain, we turned. The argument between Katy, Merlin and Mordred seemed to have escalated more than we could possibly have imagined. As we watched, the top of the tower burst into flames and a few moments later three figures ran from the base in the opposite direction to us. The flames started to take on a strange outline and as it turned towards us, we could see it was the shape of an enormous golden eye.

'The eye of Sauron,' she muttered, and then pulled me back into the protection of the forest.


	12. Trails, Truth, Returns and Remorse

We edged around the forest and then Éowyn spotted some red cloth tied to one of the trees.

‘Looks like the boys have left us a marker,’ she said, smiling. We followed their trail until deep into the forest, a bit of cloak being tied to a tree every so often, then sat down to rest for a while at a stream. There was a rustling and Éowyn reached for her sword, but it was only Queen Mab. She squealed in delight.

_'My favourite ladies here together_

_Beth survived the tower's terror_

_Rescued by this lovely maid_

_The perfect one to give you aid._

_Now you must be on your way_

_Unless there is a chance you'll stay_

_We could have fun here in the trees_

_Eating honey, bread and cheese._

_But no, I know, you should be leaving_

_One of your knights is sadly grieving.'_

She hopped up onto a higher branch and grinned down at us. I replied.

'Which way do we need to go?

Back from here? I know you know.'

Mab applauded my rhyme.

_'Homeward bound is straight ahead_

_The path you'll keep where they have led._

_Now do not tarry, they are near_

_Hurry now, be of good cheer,_

_And if in future you should roam_

_You're always welcome in my home.'_

Mab flapped her wings and circled our heads. I smiled up at her.

'Thanks to you, the tasks detailed

Without your help we would have failed.

We bid you leave and wish you well,

Majestic in your floral dell.

Hey, I'm getting really good at this, Éowyn!'

But as I turned back to Mab, it was to see only the flutter of her wings as she departed.

'So the men are not far?' Éowyn said, standing.

'Race you?'

The sound of us crashing through the trees made me briefly wonder if they thought we were actually something attacking them. It was Éowyn who broke cover first, mainly because I got my foot stuck in a trailing root and had to stop to disentangle it.

I could hear Percival greeting her and the voices of the others expressing surprise and pleasure. Slowly I entered their camp. Gwaine was standing to one side, smiling sadly at the reunion.

'Aren't you going to say Hello?' I asked.

'Beth! Oh my darling!' He held out his arms to me, but then didn't seem to know which bit of me he could hug without hurting me. It was so wonderful to feel his arms fold gently around me, to feel his hair soft against my cheek as I tried to blot out that last image of him. 'The tower, it disappeared.'

'I know.'

'I wanted to wait there but the others wouldn't let me.'

'I know.'

'They said we'd come back with a bigger search party.'

'Very sensible.'

'What happened there Beth?'

'I don't want to talk about. Not now.'

'In that case, I'd better introduce you to the king. My lord! This is Beth.'

I attempted a curtsey, a little wobbly on the uneven ground.

'It appears I have you to thank for my rescue,' Arthur said. He was taller than I remembered from the programme, and broader, but his face was stubble-laden and there were dark shadows under his eyes.

'Camelot, and Gwen, need you, sire.'

'I am forever in your debt.'

Arthur was so exhausted that he was soon asleep while Éowyn and I sat round the camp fire with the other men and we updated them with what had happened after I'd been locked in the room alone.

'Luckily Queen Mab had told me that all I had to do was sit still and say nothing.' There was a snort of derision from Percival, so I slapped him. 'And I had to keep telling myself that it wasn't real until it was all over. And then Katy . . . Gwaine, Aragorn, you remember Katy from my flat? She appeared with Merlin and Mordred.'

'Woah! Katy?' Percival said. 'With Merlin and Mordred?'

Gwaine was staring at me, his jaw slack with disbelief. 'Katy? That was the same Katy? But . . .'

'Yes, she's called something else here. High Priestess, erm . . . she did say but I can't remember. It began with an M. Maj . . . Magister. Something like that.'

'Magistra?' said Leon.

'Yes, that's it! You know her?'

Percival, Gwaine and Leon all avoided eye contact with me. It was Éowyn who asked what had happened and Leon reluctantly answered.

'We knew her as Katy too. She, err, turned up in Camelot. She wasn't treated very well.' They were all suspiciously quiet.

'Tell her, Leon,' Gwaine said.

Leon took a swig of water and stared into the camp fire. 'The king, Uther then, was away with Arthur. This . . . this girl suddenly appeared just outside the citadel. She didn't know where she was. She barely knew WHO she was. Arriving like that, it was clear that she had magic and so she was locked up. We . . .' He stopped and took a deep breath and then ran his hand across his forehead. 'She would ask us for help, beg us, but we could do nothing. We . . . we used to go and watch her. She would . . . she had these . . . strings going into her ears and she would dance around and sing. We thought she was, well, a bit . . . mad, but she was amusing to watch.'

'You did this a lot?'

'For several nights. Until she started sobbing and asking for her horse.'

'Her horse?' This seemed a bit bizarre.

'Well, specifically, her charger. We could not understand why she wanted a battle horse, but that's what she was asking for.'

'She was from my world,' I said slowly. 'She was listening to her iPod.'

'We did not know the magic from The Great Unknown then,' Leon said.

'What happened to her?'

'She stayed locked away for . . . too long. Her cries would keep the guards awake at night, but she had magic so Uther insisted she be kept in the dungeons. We think . . . we think Merlin released her.'

'How COULD you?' I said, looking at the knights in turn. 'She needed help and you locked her up and then laughed at her? How COULD you?'

'We're not proud of what we did,' Gwaine said quietly.

'Not proud? Not PROUD? You should be ashamed of yourselves.'

I stalked off into the forest, but didn't get very far, what with it being impenetrable and everything. I was sitting on a log half wishing for Mab and her painful rhymes, but it was Éowyn who found me.

She said nothing, just sat down next to me, and then reached out and clasped my hand. We sat in silence for a while.

'They do feel bad,' she said.

'I might have known you'd defend them,' I replied, snatching my hand away.

'I'm not defending them. I think they behaved appallingly, but they know it.'

'She needed help. She was all alone, and that's what they did to her.' I reached out for Eowyn's hand and she took it again.

 

It was a much subdued camp when we returned.

'Lady Beth, we are truly sorry,' Leon said.

'It's not me you should be apologising to.'

'I know. We know.'

'And now she's with Merlin and Mordred. Because of what you did.'

 

Curling up on my side next to Gwaine, I was still downcast.

'Sleep well, sweetheart,' he said, but he could feel my body tense as he spoke the endearment. 'What is it, Beth? Is it Katy?'

'No. Yes. I mean . . . it was the visions she showed me.'

'Was I in them?'

I turned so I could see his face and nodded. 'She showed you making love to two women. You called them "Sweetheart".'

'Two women?'

'Aha.'

'Was I any good?'

'Gwaine!' but it broke the tension and made me smile. 'No, you were useless so they got up and walked out, bored.'

'Ouch!'

'Serves you right.'

'So does that mean you don't want me to call you "Sweetheart" anymore?'

I was watching his face as he spoke to me and actually, being close to him, feeling his warmth, seeing the way he looked at me, the images from that room were already beginning to fade.

'No, it means I always want you to call me sweetheart. But just me.'

'I can do that. Sweetheart.'

* * *

It was a slow walk back to Camelot. Arthur was still exhausted, although refused to speak of what had happened to him, at least in front of Éowyn and me. It was good seeing her with Percival, they fitted together so comfortably and he looked at her with a tenderness that belied his size.

I walked with Gwaine, learning to forget about the visions, or at least push them to the back of my mind. He was attentive and carefully concerned for my welfare, checking the bandaging on my arm, supporting me over the uneven ground, allowing me to build up my trust in him again.

It was three days before we came in sight of Camelot, the spires gleaming in the evening sun. A routine patrol discovered us and were dispatched to bring us horses. Gwen was waiting in the courtyard when we arrived, throwing her arms around a now-bearded Arthur.

'That has GOT to go,' she said, after she had kissed him.

She sent instructions for hot baths for us all, and for Gaius to tend to my wounded arm. I ate in my room, too tired for a formal meal. When the servant came to take away my tray, he was followed into my room by Gwaine.

'How are you, Beth?'

'Tired.'

'Too tired for me to stay?'

'I thought you knights were supposed to be chivalrous?'

He twitched a half smile and then was silent for a while. 'About . . . Magistra . . . Katy,' he began. 'We did not act in a very chivalrous way then either.'

'But at least you accept that now. Gwaine?'

'Yes, sweetheart?'

'Please stay.'


	13. Dreams, Dresses, Dancing and Decisions

I woke in the night screaming, the vision of Gwaine haunting me as he hung by his wrists from the wooden frame, his body scarred and his head shorn.

'Shhh, shhh,' he said, holding me as I sobbed. 'It's all right. I'm here.'

And then I told him, quietly in the darkness, of what I had seen. He said nothing while I spoke, but I could feel the tension in him.

'That was so cruel,' he said.

'You mean about your hair?' I tried to joke, but he didn't respond.

'We heard about the Dark Tower from my father. He used to scare me and my brothers with stories of how it could damage your mind, that the path there was strewn with the bodies of people who'd died on the journey or gone mad when they'd left the tower. We thought it didn't exist as a real place, just something to scare us. I should never have let you come with us.'

'That was my choice.'

'I know.'

'I don't regret it.'

'I do.'

'But you rescued Arthur.'

'At what cost? Your sanity?'

'It's just a bad memory, a bad dream, Gwaine. I'll survive.' I snuggled up next to him. 'Anyway, you're here to protect me.'

'But what happens when you go home?' To be perfectly honest, I had not thought of that. Not since we left The Crossed Swords. I had been so caught up in the adventures in this other world that I had not thought about the future. 'Beth?'

'I don't know.'

'You are not going home? You're going to stay?' His voice was so full of hope that I was tempted to say Yes straight away. But that wouldn't have been fair on him in case I couldn't.

'Gwaine, I'm sorry, but I honestly don't know.'

* * *

As the pre-dawn pink lifted the shadows from the room, I watched Gwaine stir and stretch. He smiled over to me. 'Awake already?'

'Aha. I've been thinking.'

'Oh it's too early for that. Thinking shouldn't be done until after lunch, and even then only sparingly.' He turned onto his side to look at me. 'Thinking about what?'

'You. Me. Here. Home.'

'And?'

'I still don't know.'

'Perhaps I can persuade you,' he said with a smile.

'Gwaine! Careful of my arm.'

'You won't need your arm. Well, you might, but . . .'

I didn't. It was the first time we'd made love since the Dark Tower and I was worried that the memories might have made me feel differently about him. Actually, they did in a way, they made me feel immensely grateful that he had chosen me, was here with me, was doing - oh! - this to me. Even when he called me sweetheart like he had those other women, it had no impact and I lost myself in his caresses. He really was the best of cures.

It was lunchtime before we emerged from my room, strolling across the courtyard towards the main entrance of the castle. We were met by Gwen hanging on to Arthur's arm and Gwaine bowed as I curtseyed.

'There really is no need for that, Beth,' Arthur said.

'What about me?' Gwaine protested.

'What about you?' but they could not keep up the banter and relaxed into easy laughter. 'Gwen's organised a feast for tonight at the Round Table. Apparently she's glad to have me back.'

'And bathed and shaved,' she added. 'Beth, if you can tear yourself away from Gwaine for a while after lunch, we can sort you out something more . . . in keeping to wear.'

I glanced down at my jeans and jumper. 'Excellent!'

I was taller than Gwen and more, erm, curvy, so we had to search through some of the trunks left in storage to find something that would fit. We narrowed it down to two, a deep burgundy or midnight blue. I tried them both on and asked Gwen's opinion.

'The blue,' she said categorically.

'You don't think it's a bit tight, and, erm, low?'

'Yes! But you want to make an impact, don't you? I'll get it pressed for you.'

She sent one of the maids to dress my hair and fit me into the dress, lacing it so tightly I could hardly breathe. As she stood back, I looked in the mirror, and then thanked her, slipping on the flat shoes we'd also managed to locate.

'Holy cow!' Gwen said when she saw me. 'I made the right choice of dress. Come, let us walk down together. I want to see the look on their faces when they see you, missy!'

There was a hush as we entered the Great Hall. The knights, wearing formal tunics and cloaks, formed a guard of honour as we walked towards the thrones at the far end where Arthur was waiting. No wonder Gwen liked it here, the knights bowing low as we passed until we reached those most trusted, closest to the king. Leon and Gwaine to one side, Percival taking up pretty much the same amount of space on the other.

Gwen squeezed my arm as we approached them and I could see she was biting her lip to stop smiling. Leon and Percival were making a valiant attempt not to stare, but Gwaine was showing no such restraint. The look on his face was priceless.

I curtseyed to Arthur, hoping that the corseting would remain in place, and then, following Arthur and Gwen, Gwaine escorted me to my seat at the Round Table.

'You're very quiet.' In fact, he had said nothing.

'I can't speak,' he muttered.

'Why not?'

'You. In that dress. At this table. It's too much,' and he let go of my arm and walked awkwardly from the room.

'Is he ill?' Percival asked as he took the seat next to me.

'Suffering a bit, I think,' I replied. 'I'm sure he'll be fine.'

Éowyn, sitting on the other side of Percival, leaned forward. 'Gorgeous dress,' she said. Hers was gold embroidered, equally fitted, her golden hair cascading down her back.

'We scrub up pretty well, don't we?'

It was some minutes before Gwaine returned, bowing his apology to the king and queen and sliding into the seat next to mine.

'Better, I asked?' giving his thigh a gentle squeeze under the table.

He glared at me. 'Do not even think it, my lady,' he said. I looked away but totally failed to hide my smile.

 

It was at the end of the meal that Percival rose from his seat and approached the king. He whispered a few words to him and Arthur nodded, smiling. As Percival returned to his seat, Arthur stood.

'Knights and ladies,' he said. 'It is with great pleasure that I announce the betrothal of Sir Percival of Listenoise and Éowyn, daughter of the House of Eorl.'

There was applause and I wiped a tear of happiness from my eye as I whispered, 'Oh, his mother would have loved to see this.'

Gwaine was considerably more attentive after a few goblets of wine. He sat with his arm draped around my shoulders staring down my cleavage until Gwen, who was passing, slapped him on the arm and told him to be more chivalrous.

'I can't help it,' he said, dimpling a smile. 'It's mesmerising. Like watching a couple of playful puppies,' and this time it was me giving him the slap.

 

Later, much later, we were dancing together in the candlelight. 'Stay,' he said.

'I don't know that I can.'

'At least until Percival and Éowyn's wedding.'

I had to admit, I did want to see that. 'All right,' and the look of contentment on his face was reward enough.

* * *

It took a month to plan the wedding, and life at Camelot settled into an easy routine. While Arthur trained with the knights, Éowyn, Gwen and I would "support" from the balcony outside Gwen's rooms, and the rest of the time was taken up with Gwen basically being Arthur's PA, Éowyn planning the wedding, and me assisting whoever needed it most.

As well as Éowyn's gown, there was mine to be made and invitations to be sent out to all parts of The Shire, to the Elves of Rivendell, Sir Percival's family and Éowyn's family in Rohan. As the day approached, guests from all round Britain and Middle Earth began to arrive, and I helped Gwen organise the accommodation and food with servants in full flight around the castle trying to meet everyone's needs.

Sir Percival's parents arrived the day before the wedding with his brother. All three men were tall, his mother petite in comparison, but it was clear who was in charge as the men deferred to her. She curtseyed gracefully as she was introduced to Gwen, but gave Éowyn an enthusiastic hug as she welcomed her to their family.

Gwen, Éowyn and I were in Éowyn's chambers on the morning of the wedding. Éowyn's brother Éomer was giving her away, and he had been, perhaps unwisely, given to Gwaine to look after. Gwaine, certainly, had not made it back to my room last night, although I assumed it was because he couldn't manage the steps up to it. Éomer was certainly looking a little tired and emotional as he arrived to see if Éowyn was ready.

'Bad night?' I asked.

'Gwaine? Oh yes, definitely a bad knight! He took me to a tavern. I don't remember much after the fifth ale. Except a girl called Molly. And I'm not sure I should remember her.'

The wedding was something magical. Gwaine escorted me down the aisle behind Percival's parents. By the look on his face, and the growling noises he made when he saw me, I could tell he approved of my dress. All the knights were wearing blue tunics embroidered with gold, but still with the burgundy Camelot cloaks. Éowyn looked radiant in the palest gold, her hair cascading around her shoulders, and wearing a golden circlet on her head gifted to her from Percival's mother.

I sobbed happily through most of the ceremony, and then got comfortably tipsy during the following celebrations. Dancing with Gwaine was the perfect end to the evening, my head resting on his shoulder, his hand tight around my waist as we looked over at Percival and Éowyn.

'That could be us,' he whispered and I had the first stirrings of panic in the pit of my stomach as I knew decision time was imminent.


	14. Leaving, Thinking, Portals and Panic

'We need to go back to the Inn for a few days, sweetheart,' Gwaine said. 'Do you want to come with us?'

'Do I have to?'

'No. You stay here with your girlie friends drooling over the knights while they're training . . .'

'Wouldn't hurt you to do some more,' I said, prodding him in his midriff. My finger bounced off the taut muscle.

'Hey! I'll have you know I'm as finally honed as a rutting stag.'

'And as horny,' I countered.

'It's just because you want to watch me and Percival performing, isn't it?'

'Of COURSE it is! Although the shirts could come off considerably more often, if I was being picky.'

'So will you be all right if I were to go back to Bree?'

'I'll be fine, Gwaine. Just don't stay away too long.'

 

The nightmares did return once they'd left, but I would never tell him although Gwen noticed how much more tired I looked and I confided in her.

'Have you made a decision yet?'

'No. I just can't believe that my life is on hold back . . .there.' I couldn't even bring myself to call it home as it felt so little of me belonged there.

'You know you're going to have to. Gwaine's in torment knowing he might lose you.'

I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat.

'It's just . . . it's so much to give up. And what if I could never go back? I just can't get my head round what's happening . . . there.'

'That's why I decided to stay and stick with that decision. It had to be here or there for me.'

'And you don't regret your decision?'

'No. Obviously sometimes I wonder about that other life. And I do miss a long hot shower, and Marks and Spencer's knickers, and . . . No. They say "home is where the heart is" don't they? Well mine's here in Camelot.'

'How long did it take you to adjust?'

'Ask me in another fifty years,' she laughed. 'You could be happy here, you know.'

'That's what's making the decision so difficult.'

 

'Sir Leon?'

He turned from his striding down the corridor and bowed. 'Lady Beth.'

'You know you said you found Katy here in Camelot? Where exactly?'

He thought for a moment. 'It was quite a way from the citadel, on the path leading from the west tower, on the edge of the forest beyond the plain. There was a wooden shack. She was found wandering there, but we didn't know how she'd got there or where she'd come from.'

'Thank you,' and Leon bowed again and continued on his way.

I couldn't wait. I had to go back and see how I felt once I was there. I went back to my room, changed into my own clothes and grabbed my bag. I bounded down the steps to the west tower, past the guards and out through the gate, running along the track until I arrived breathless at the shack. I pushed open the door and entered it. The was a single chair and table, and behind that what looked like another exit door, a bit excessive for a building that was the size of a garden shed. On the wall to one side of the door was a silver plaque engraved with woods and a fairy who looked distinctly like Queen Mab, which briefly made me smile.

I tried the door. It was locked. Damn. Surely they wouldn't be so predictable as to . . . I felt along the top of the doorframe until my fingers encountered something metal and I lifted the key from its not very good hiding place.

The lock was stiff and it took several attempts to get it to turn, but finally the door was released although it took considerable shoving to get it to open. Of course, the other side of the door should just have been out onto the forest behind the shack, but it opened instead onto a staircase, going down, but I could not see where the steps led. With one further examination of the shack, I took the first step down into the opening. I had only taken a few steps when I was face to face with a solid barrier. As I started to push against, it seemed to dissolve and I fell through it, landing in a heap on the floor of what looked like a train station.

'Mummy, that woman's just come through from platform 9 and ¾,' said a shrill, excited voice.

'Yes, dear, yes of course she has,' said the woman, not even glancing in my direction.

I picked myself up and looked behind me. There above a part of the brick wall at Kings Cross station was the sign "Platform 9¾". The child was not wrong. I smiled at him and then went to one of the ticket machines, buying a single for home.

 

I sat on my bed, staring at the familiar room. It was as though I hadn't been away a minute, let alone the . . . how long was it? Weeks now? I couldn't have waited to see Gwaine again before coming back, it would have been unbearable and left me even more confused. My mind was in turmoil as it was. I also had no idea of how quickly or slowly time passed in Camelot while I was here. The same? Faster? Slower? Katy was the only one who'd been backwards and forwards, but it hadn't been high on my list of questions for her when we'd met.

But I still had no idea what I was going to do. I'd hoped that coming back here would have made up my mind, one way or the other, but I felt just as confused. My home, my job, my life here seemed so unreal now. Yet this was the reality, Camelot was the imaginary place. Wasn't it? I was no longer sure.

How long should I stay here before I could or would make the decision? I had no idea.

Once I'd confirmed what day it was (I still didn't quite believe it) I realised I was still, of course, on holiday. I had a bath and an early night, finding it strange to be back in this bed, not the one I thought of as my own in Camelot. What was even more confusing was that I still had the nightmare about Gwaine. I'd really hoped that they would have stopped once I was back here. I was wrong.

I went shopping, wandering aimlessly round the stores, putting random things in my basket before returning home. Nothing felt right. I felt only half alive.

I sat and watched some episodes of Merlin, starting from series 3 when Gwaine was introduced. My Gwaine. At Camelot. Been there, done that, I thought ironically but had to switch it off because it was too distressing. I was still sobbing when there was a sharp rapping on my door. I opened it reluctantly.

'Katy? Katy!' She was standing dressed incongruously in her Camelot clothing. 'Katy, what is it?'

'It's Sauron,' she said. 'He's gone to war. It could affect the portals. He could close them all.'

'Sauron? But I don't understand!'

'Beth, he is already attacking.'

'But why are you telling me this?'

'Because I didn't want you to not have the choice to go back. I don't know how far Sauron's attack might stretch. The portals might close and you'd be trapped here. What . . . what I did to you at the Dark Tower was bad, I know that. I thought I was evil, we were evil, but then I met Sauron and I realised what true evil really was. It was too far, too much. Thousands of people are going to die, Beth. The Shire. He's going to destroy the Shire. So you've got to hurry. If you're coming, we've got to leave now.'

My heart was thumping dramatically. Did I want to go back? But how could I not go back? How could I never see Gwaine again other than on a DVD? I quickly packed a bag, shoving in anything I could find. I was just checking my handbag when I felt a stinging pain in my finger. When I checked what it was, I found it was the silver key Queen Mab had left for me in the impenetrable forest. The head of it was oozing blood, like the map had, and was hot to the touch.

'Camelot's in trouble,' I said. 'We have to go there.'


	15. Platforms, Returns, Rivers and Reactions

‘We can go to the hospital,’ Katy said. ‘Use the portal there.’

‘But that will take us to the Shire and that’s days away from Camelot! No! We go to-‘

‘Kings Cross,’ Katy finished. ‘Come on then.’

The train journey seemed to take forever, but it gave Katy and me a chance to talk.

‘It was at Kings Cross, the first time I went through to Camelot. I’d been out with friends for a drink, well, quite a few drinks, and we were just larking about at the Platform 9¾ doorway in the wall while we were waiting for our train. And then the wall wasn’t there and I fell through it and found myself on a staircase, and then in this old shack. I opened the door to try and find out where I was, when I was surrounded by men on horses. Knights. I was laughing so much, I thought I was on some kind of film set. But then . . .’

‘I know what happened to you.’

‘You do?’

‘They told me. They’re . . . sorry.’

She shrugged and looked around, trying not to cry. ‘It was a bad time, but it was a long time ago.’

‘Erm, I came back here and it was still Sunday night. How much time will have passed in Camelot since I left?’

‘Oh, goodness, I’m not sure. A few weeks maybe?’

‘That long? Hell.’ I’d left with no word, no explanation. Although to be fair I hadn’t planned on going back. And I could still change my mind. No. I’d decided. I was going back. I looked again at the key. It was still oozing blood and feeling hot. Camelot needed my help.

‘Did you never use the portal again at Kings Cross?’ I asked her.

‘Not once I’d found the portal between the Shire and the hospital. Was a lot less hassle. And I didn’t want to go back to Camelot.’

‘Did Merlin release you from dungeons?’

She nodded. ‘There were some traders passing through Camelot on their way to the Shire, he arranged for them to take me, and because I was so tall there and could heal a bit, they asked me to stay, found me somewhere to stay and looked after me.’

‘So how did you find the portal back to the hospital?’

‘There was a smial that was empty. They said people had disappeared from it so no one would live there, but it seemed fine to me so I moved in there. And then one day I was in the cellar and found a door I’d never noticed before, went through it and ended up in the hospital.’

‘So there could be hobbits in England?’ I started to wonder about a few people.

The train was approaching Kings Cross station. ‘Beth, are you sure about this?’ Katy asked.

‘’Don’t make me think about it anymore. Camelot needs me.’

‘Us.’

‘You’re going to help?’

‘Beth, I’ve looked into the eyes of Sauron and I’ve seen real evil. I can’t let him take over Camelot or the Shire.’

‘What happened to Merlin and Mordred?’

‘Already at Camelot. Arthur took a bit of convincing, but I think I helped with that.’

‘And so you risked coming back here just to get me? What if you can’t get back?’

‘It was worth the risk. I . . . I saw Gwaine.’ My heart seemed to be both clenching and exploding at the same time. ‘He’s never stopped hoping you’ll come back. I said I’d try but if you didn’t, or we didn’t get back, then he’d know.’

‘I shouldn’t have just left like that. I panicked. But the decision was just . . . overwhelming.’

‘You sure you’re making the right one now?’

‘Yes. Come on. We’ve got a platform of children to freak out.’

 

Katie insisted I went first. I leaned against the wall under the sign. At first the wall felt completely solid behind my back, but then it seemed to turn to jelly and I pressed myself into it, falling back onto the stairs. Katy followed me through, considerably more elegantly. We climbed the stairs, the silver key clutched in my hand, although the heat of it was almost unbearable, pushed open the door at the top and immediately started coughing.

‘What is it?’ I asked. There was an incredible rushing noise, the sounds of cracking and groaning and the air was painfully searing my throat with heat.

‘The forest’s on fire. Use the key.’

‘What? Where?’

‘The key! There! In Mab’s panel!’

I hadn’t noticed when I’d seen it earlier that there was a tiny keyhole in the centre of the plate, directly into Mab’s heart. I pushed the key in and turned it. The shack started to vibrate and we ran from it, turning to see it disappear, taking the portal with it. A barrier seemed to be forming, emanating from where the shack had stood. Beyond it, the trees were flaming, bushes burning, animals running scared, but they seemed to be able to make it through the barrier, it was just the flames that were being held at bay.

We hurried up the track across the plain towards the citadel, our lungs still raw from the inhaled smoke. There were people camping on the plain, against the castle wall, with guards on the gates preventing people entering the citadel. We were just two more refugees in their eyes as they refused us entry, telling us to wait outside, and that we would be provided with food.

I was willing to wait, turning so that I could see that the barrier was spreading right round the city at the edge of the forest, holding back the progression of the flames. Animals were making their way through, gathering at the river that meandered through the plain. Whatever magic Mab had given me along with the key appeared to be working.

However waiting was not an option for Katy. She drew herself up to her full height and bellowed at the guard. ‘I am the High Priestess Magistra, this is the Lady Elizabeth. Would you inform Sir Gwaine we are here. Go! Go on! Now!’

I stepped back from the walls of the castle, looking up to where I could see guards and knights watching from the walls, more and more gathering as they came to observe the abeyance of the flames. And then there were faces I recognised, Arthur and Gwen, Percival and Leon, but no Gwaine. I moved back and started to wave at them, but they were looking far above me, towards the barrier. I started walking backwards, quite a distance, trying to attract their attention. If I did, I managed it in spectacular fashion by losing my footing and rolling down the slope towards, and then into, the river.

Scattering a couple of deer, I dragged myself out of the water and began to plod back up the slope towards the castle. Except when I looked up, there was a figure sprinting towards me, red cloak rippling, hair flopping behind him. I paused, shivering, trying to find my footing on the slippery grass. But then started to head towards him, slithering and sliding as I worked my way up the slope onto flatter ground, breathing heavily.

He slid to halt a few feet away from me, suddenly unsure of himself.

‘Did you do this?’ he said, indicating the barrier.

‘It was a key Mab gave me in the impenetrable forest. I didn’t know what it was for. Katy told me.’

‘Did you come back just to do this? To save Camelot?’

I walked towards him, soaking wet, covered in mud, smelling of smoke, tears already creating trails down my face, and stood face to face with him.

‘No. I came back for you. If you’ll have me. I’m sorry I left-‘ but my next words were lost as he closed his lips on mine and I snaked my arms around his neck and kissed him back. In the distance I was sure I could hear a cheer. 


	16. Healing, Updating, Pacing and Questing

There was much work to be done, healing those burned by the fire and injured in their escape, I had little time to rest and barely time to eat. The burns took time to heal, painful for the injured person, and I cried along with many of them as the raw flesh dried and peeled revealing the fresh pink undamaged skin below. Gwaine, Gaius and Merlin were trying to persuade me to rest, but even Merlin's healing powers were weaker than mine and I could not leave these people to suffer. Katy worked on those with broken and injured limbs as the burns were beyond her strengths too.

Gwaine brought me news from outside, feeding me wedges of apple as I worked, although eating at least half of them himself. Sauron had been pushed back to his own lands, the eye in the Dark Tower had been extinguished, and there were already sign of regrowth in the forest, although the shack had definitely been destroyed and along with it I was sure, the portal back to Kings Cross.

Injured and homeless people continued to arrive at Camelot, although there were an equal number of now leaving once they were recovered to rebuild their lives. After a week I was able to sleep in my own room at night, and after almost two weeks, I felt able to take a break in the sunshine for a few hours, walking down towards the shack. It was clear to see where it had been, the earth up to where it had stood scorched and covered with ash, although I could see for myself the green shoots of regrowth. The forest would survive.

But the portal, even though I poked around for a while with a stick, had definitely gone. I walked along the line of the barrier as it circled Camelot and then looked back at the citadel. It looked perfect. I could see my room, well, our room, and I smiled.

'Beth! Beth!' Éowyn was walking down the slope from the castle towards me. 'Gandalf and Aragorn have just arrived!'

'Oh how fabulous! Are they well?'

'Yes, very. Hurry, they are waiting to update the king.'

Éowyn, Katy, Gwen and I joined the knights, Merlin and Mordred at the round table.

'Sauron is massing an army,' Aragorn began. 'But his intention was to take Camelot and access the Shire from here. Not defeating Camelot has severely disrupted his plans. But there is a pivotal access point that needs guarding.'

'Where?' Arthur asked.

'The Dark Tower. He has withdrawn from there at the moment, but he is desperate to retake it. And from there he can control any attack on Camelot and then the Shire. Camelot may not be so fortunate next time.'

'That is not an easy task for us. You know the history.'

'I know, my lord. I would not ask if it were not so strategically important for all of us.'

Arthur was silent, searching for a solution.

Katy stood up. 'Sire, I have a suggestion.'

'Yes Magistra?'

'I would be willing to guard the Dark Tower against Sauron. If . . .' and she looked towards Merlin and Mordred. They both stood.

'I will go,' said Merlin immediately. 'I will dispel the dark magic from there and protect Camelot.'

'As will I,' Mordred added. 'The threat of the Dark Tower has lasted too long. We will make it safe.'

Katy nodded her acknowledgement at them and then returned to Arthur. 'We understand you may decline if you do not have sufficient trust in us, given what has happened.'

'I shall put this to the vote. Who here will put their trust in Magistra, Merlin and Mordred to guard the Dark Tower on behalf of Camelot.'

Katy was looking at me with pleading eyes. I stood. 'For what it's worth, my lord, Katy risked going back to The Great Unknown to tell me about Sauron's attack. She need not have done that and risked not being able to return here.'

Gwaine also pushed back his chair and stood, as did Percival, Éowyn, Gwen, Leon until everyone around the table was standing. Katy was openly sobbing, being comforted by Merlin and Mordred.

Arthur nodded. 'Very well. The Dark Tower is yours to guard, and we will provide soldiers should you require them to maintain its security.'

'Thank you, my lord,' Aragorn said. 'We are in your debt.'

 

Katy caught up with me afterwards. 'Thank you for that, Beth.'

'But it's the Dark Tower. Will you be all right?'

'We'll be fine. Honestly. Me, Merlin and Mordred and something important to do? Couldn't be better! And we won't let you, or Camelot down, I promise.'

 

Gandalf was also waiting to see me. 'Let us walk outside,' he said. 'You know that morning at The Crossed Swords when the veil closed?'

'Of course.'

'I have discovered what caused its closure.'

'You have? Oh! What was it?'

'You say it closed while you were kissing Gwaine?' I nodded. 'How would you describe that kiss?'

'At the time I remember thinking it was magical. Oh, was that it? My kiss with Gwaine?'

'Yes, my dear. Very strong magic was created then.'

'Strong enough to keep me here, certainly. So if we hadn't kissed . . .?'

'That was never going to happen, was it Miss Groves?'

'Maybe not. Thank you for telling me, Gandalf.'

'Be happy, my dear. We might need your skills again one day, although I hope not for a very long time.'

 

* * *

'Beth!' I turned to see Gwen hurrying down the corridor towards me. 'Gwaine's looking for you. He's out on the balcony.'

'Why should he be looking for me there? I've not seen him all day.'

'Well, that's where he is.' She was looking oddly smug as I headed off in that direction.

He was pacing nervously next to a table that had been set for two. As I approached, he pulled out the chair for me. As I settled on it, he went to take his own, then changed his mind and dropped on one knee next to me.

'Beth. I'm not one for long speeches or great declarations, but I love you with all my heart. Will you . . . will you marry me?'

So this was why he'd been acting so oddly for the last couple of days. Plotting with the kitchen staff, colluding with Gwen, gazing out of the window at the sky. I then realised he was still waiting for me to answer him.

'Oh Gwaine. Do the swish.' He obliged, despite it being rather more difficult on one knee. 'How can I resist that? Yes. Yes, of course I will.'

I was expecting a hug at the very least, but instead he ran to the balcony and yelled over, 'She said Yes!"

There was a cheer in return and I walked over to the balcony myself to see the king, queen and knights gathered below, waiting for the answer. Gwaine slipped his arm around me and we kissed. I felt like a member of the royal family.

Eventually we were allowed to eat, although I insisted that Gwaine moved his chair next to mine rather than opposite me. I stretched out my left hand towards him.

'What?'

I wiggled my third finger at him. 'Look. Naked.'

'So?'

I grinned at him. 'I think we need to go on a ring quest of our own.'

 

THE END


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